Top Style by Kate Noda — Local services in Reston

Update - Response to the owner

I’d like to correct several inaccuracies in your response and express my shock at the amount of false information being presented. It is not professional to misrepresent a client’s experience, and the complete lack of accountability is disappointing. Not shocked that previously people have also mentioned about misrespresenting your clients experience

I did not request a different or brighter color. I specifically asked Mark to achieve the exact same balayage color I’ve had multiple times on my already-colored hair, yet I was told it could not be done without bleach—which contradicts my past experiences.

I did not leave happy with the results. The first application turned my hair blonde, which was nowhere close to a brown undertone. I had to sit for an extra hour while it was corrected—something completely avoidable if my request had been properly understood.

Your claim that bleach was necessary is misleading. I have achieved the same result without bleach before, and I was never informed of alternative approaches. Had I been given the right information, I would have made a different decision.

I did mention my concerns about color fading when I returned after two months. I spoke to Kate and provided before-and-after pictures, which were acknowledged by the team at that time.

I did not receive a complimentary demi-permanent color service—I paid for it, and I have the receipt to confirm this. The only complimentary service I received was a hydrating treatment, which I do appreciate.

I reached out within two months of my balayage fading, not six months. My concerns were raised early on, and unfortunately, my hair has only gotten worse over time due to the damage caused.

I have had balayage for six years without any issues, and I know my hair better than anyone. The idea that my concerns are simply due to "color maintenance" is completely false—this experience was unlike anything I had ever gone through before.

This was not a typical fading issue; it was a direct result of being misled about the necessity of bleach and the improper handling of my hair, which has left me with long-term porosity damage.

I would absolutely not recommend this salon to anyone. Instead of taking responsibility, you have chosen to shift the blame onto me and distort the facts. A business that fails to acknowledge its mistakes and misguides customers is not one I can trust, nor would I ever refer friends or family to.

I hope this response encourages your team to accurately represent client experiences and provide transparent communication moving forward. Thank you!

Original review

I’ve been getting balayage for six years and have never used bleach. However, at this salon, I was told that bleach was necessary and that it couldn’t be done without it. Trusting their expertise, I went ahead with the service—only to end up with the worst hair condition I’ve ever had. My balayage faded within six weeks, something that has never happened before without bleach.

When I brought up my concerns, I spoke to Kate, who insisted that a hair treatment with demi-permanent color would help restore my hair. Unfortunately, this did nothing to strengthen my hair, leaving me with severe porosity issues that I now have to deal with permanently.

What’s most frustrating is that, after the fact, I was told that bleach isn’t actually necessary for balayage—only for achieving certain tones. This crucial information should have been communicated upfront. If your stylists had been properly trained to discuss these options, I could have made an informed decision about my hair.

I trusted this salon, but due to a lack of clear communication, I’m now dealing with the worst hair damage I’ve ever experienced. I hope this review encourages better training and transparency so no one else has to go through the...

FINAL EDIT:

I went back again to get my adjustment done by Tolga and WOW. It is exactly what I wanted and so beautiful! He was kind and patient with me and made sure to understand what I wanted and he delivered! I’m so impressed with the professionalism and dedication that this salon has to satisfy their customers. I will definitely be a returning client now. 🧡

EDIT: Kate, the owner, reached out to me personally and offered to have me back in the salon for adjustments to make sure that I’m satisfied. She was very kind and understanding, and made a potentially awkward conversation very easy. I look forward to going back and giving the salon another shot. I will post an updated review with photos once I have my appointment!

It was my first time at Top Style by Kate Noda and I saw stylist Tolga. I saw a bunch of great reviews, however I left feeling pretty disappointed to be honest. I hate leaving negative reviews, and I do appreciate the time and talent of hair stylists, including Tolga. I just was not happy with what I got compared to what I wanted, and then the price I paid for it.

Before my appointment, someone from the salon texted me asking me a bunch of information about my color history, inspo pics, and current pics of my hair - to which I sent everything.

When I got there, Tolga asked what we were doing, so I reiterated what I had sent over text. He confirmed he did see the photos. I will attach the texts with photos and then the cut/color I got.

My hair is not very noticeably different in color. It doesn't look bad, but it is just not even close to what I asked for. Tolga did say that my hair wasn't lifting well, which I totally get can happen. So he put a gloss or something over it and then I could hardly tell a difference. Also, I have never had that issue before and I have always gone from dark to light on and off throughout my life. (I don't use box dye or anything either). I used to be completely blonde, in fact, at one point. Which only took 2 sessions. So for me to come out of it with barely a change in color, and then charged over $400, I was bummed to say the least. I even asked for face framing highlights and I do not see any of that. Now my hair feels healthy and great, and the color looks nice. It's just not what I wanted.

Now onto the cut... I asked for layers (like you will see in the photos I sent). Tolga told me my hair was not as thick as the pictures and therefore wouldn't work? Which I do not understand. I have quite a full head of hair, and my hair was VERY long (so a lot to work with), so I really do not understand how I couldn't have gotten layers. Looking at my hair now, I honestly don't see any layers and its very blunt. The curtain bangs are also very blunt and don't blend well because there are no layers. I have never been told my hair isn't thick enough to layer like that, so I was so confused.

I definitely should have spoken up and just asked for what I wanted more, but I trusted his advice as he is the professional, not me.

But overall, with tip, I paid almost $500 for this service. I have paid that (less) at other salons for WAY more drastic changes. So I was disappointed to say the least, and now if I want to go try to get it done somewhere else, I am going to have to drop another few hundred to do so, and that is just a huge investment for something that could have been done the first time.

I really don't want to bash any artist for their work, and I will say that Tolga seems like a talented stylist - I just did not get what I wanted from this visit and therefore probably won't...

As a new resident in Reston and first timer at this salon, this was not the professional experience I expected from a well rated salon and from a haircut that was $100+ after tip. I have shorter, extremely thick, wavy hair styled in a middle part flow (a more androgynous style that I have been seeking the right person to understand). I found this salon from the excellent Google reviews, and called in advance to explain my hair texture/style and ask who would be best suited for a cut. The woman told me Mark, and I even found and messaged him on Instagram to confirm he could cut this style and type of hair, which he said he could.

I had a consultation scheduled for 4-4:15, with a haircut for 4:15-5. Mark arrived into the salon around 4:15 (don’t know if he was picking up lunch or what), so we didn’t have much of a consultation at all. This was really unprofessional to me. We talked for maybe 1-2 mins, I showed him reference photos and videos of previous haircuts, and tried to explain what I didn’t like and that I have very specific thick hair that needs to be cut a certain way. He didn’t ask me questions about my hair, what I liked/didn’t, my goals, etc - the type of consultation and communication I expect when trying to find a relationship with a new stylist/salon as a first timer. He got right to washing my hair (which was honestly kind of aggressive and he missed the underneath completely), then started hacking away at my hair. He did not once explain what he was doing or show me how much length he was taking off to confirm it was okay, when I asked for just a trim/clean up all around. The end result was something MUCH shorter than I wanted all around, and does not suit my hair texture whatsoever. I even told him at the beginning that when the top is too short it springs up badly because I have a lot of volume, and he cut it exactly that short which created that exact problem I tried to avoid. It is very frustrating when getting a service to feel like you have to deeply advocate for what you want or it doesn’t happen, versus a knowledgeable professional asking the right questions and guiding you with their own expertise to find what works or doesn’t work for you.

It overall felt like he was rushing the entire time (he finished around 4:45 and immediately called over the next client despite my service booked until 5), and just generally did not understand how to work with my kind of hair, despite the salon saying he was versed in curly/thicker hair. I honestly cried after going home and realizing just how disappointed I was and how it’s going to take 1+ month to grow my hair out to where I ideally want it. I am really disappointed at this experience especially for the price - a new client should have a thorough intake and assessment as I have experienced at other top rated salons in the past. I likely will not be back, and advise that you don’t go to this salon if you have anything between longer hair and a short...