Jay Kelly Studio

I have been a client of Jay’s for almost three years now and have never had an unpleasant experience. He is excellent with his use of color. I have had quite a few hairdressers and I am a loyal client of Jay’s. His use of color and expert in a hair cut that is flattering, and stylish is perfect. Jay is a true professional that takes pride in his work and always makes me look my best!

I recently moved to Austin and have been very nervous about finding a new hairstylist. I have a pretty complex, some might say edgy, «thing» going on with my hair — best described as a curly pixie fauxhawk. I despise salon environments and mentalities, not to mention prices, and I need someone who will connect with me, work with me, and communicate throughout the session. Jay was exactly what I was looking for! I feel very fortunate to have found him through Unilocal.He is very personable, easy to talk to, talented, and wants to know what YOU want out of your haircut. I brought photos with me and we discussed the options. He was able to find a perfect mix of the photos and my own descriptions of the style and vibes I was going for. He’s on the other side of town from me, but I will be going back. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a new hair stylist!

Jay has been cutting and coloring my hair for four years, and I wouldn’t think of looking for anyone else. My fine, thin hair has always been a challenge to hair stylists, but from day one, Jay’s expert cuts have made it very simple for me to style and manage my hair. If I decide to change my style, he always takes the time to show me pictures and make suggestions. He’s never been wrong. His coloring talents are outstanding, and I always have people asking who does my hair. It’s quite a compliment. Jay is top notch, fun to visit, full of great stories, and very reasonably priced. I would give him ten stars, if I could! Oh, what the heck, ********** 10 STARS!

I recently tried to make an appointment with Jay, but after the very rude way I was treated over the phone, I have decided not to make an appointment. I called Saturday morning to find out if he had any openings for highlight/​lowlights. I knew it was probably a pipe dream, being Saturday and all, but the worst he could say was no. When he asked what kind of highlights I wanted, I explained I was a darker blonde, and usually get very light highlights, along with darker, chestnut colored lowlights. He then asked why I would want to go darker if I was already a blonde. I felt the way it was asked was very accusatory and judgmental. We discussed alternative times I could come in, which unfortunately did not fit with my schedule. I was then told that I should really consider making my hair a priority, since I wore it everyday. What he could not have known was that I average 70 hours a week, and on my first day off in 10, I called a hairstylist. Being new to Austin, I do not have a regular stylist. I routinely spend about $ 4,000 on my hair a year, but it is clearly not a priority. If I wanted to be judged as harshly as I felt I was, I will call my mother in law, not my hairstylist.

Jay is exactly what I have been looking for after years of moving around and always having «okay» haircuts. He goes the extra mile to make sure you get EXACTLY what you ask for, whether subtle or drastic. He gives you his very educated opinion on what may look best, but does not impose at all. I took my mom in with me last week and her hair needed some work, so he stayed late and fixed her terrible dye job on the spot — she was SO pleased with his work and is now planning to drive from Dallas to get her hair done every couple of months! I highly recommend Jay — his prices are very reasonable and the service is outstanding.

First I like the salon, minimal, sophisticated and to the point. Second he is welcoming, professional, caring and easy to talk to. Third he is very affordable 40 dollar for shampoo, haircut and style. Don’t hesitate and don’t waste your money on fancy salons to get a cheap and quick haircut, while you can have a professional like him, cut your hair. I had a messy short haircut and he transformed it to the cleanest haircut ever, not to mention I have a huge amount of hair, unmanageable hair! he was so patient and he knew what he was doing. And he spent a generous amount of time which is not something you get in one of those crazy hectic salon.

Jay is by far the best stylist I have met. He is so well educated and thorough with his work. There are things he mentioned about my hair that no one else ever has ex: length, layers, hair type, growth etc. He really embodies professional hairstylist! Finally found a good one, thank you!

Jay was simply awesome! The number posted is his cell phone, so you get to speak to him from the first moment and once you’re in the chair, he actually listens to what you’re saying about what kind of cut you want, as well as your lifestyle/​habits so that you end up with something that you can actually style yourself!

I was a home haircutter for years because each time I went in to have it professionally done it always turned out nothing like what I wanted. I wore it long and messy so that I didn’t need a salon to keep up my look. When I decided to go short, I tried getting it cut again and the first girl listened to what I said and then just gave me a standard soccer mom bob. It looked alright, but it was just not the edgy look I was going for. When I came to Jay, he studied the picture I brought, asked me a lot of questions about my personal style and my hair styling habits, and made sure he understood the specifics of what I wanted. Jay is the first person to actually give me exactly what I was looking for, and he has great suggestions of his own too. I trust his judgement and would recommend him to anyone.

Jay Kelly is a true pro, and it shows in his technique, advice, confidence, speed, and customer service. I had a haircut with him yesterday and am so happy I found him after reading the reviews here. The haircut he gave me was just right for my hair type, age, and level of maintenance and product use i was willing to undertake. I’m glad I took a chance and went with his suggestions. I love that he was extremely good at explaining his rationale for his suggestions and very articulate in the process. He’s a very personable fellow as well. The studio is cute and quiet – which I really appreciate – and just off Burnet on Koenig. He was easy to schedule with and was waiting for me when i arrived. Excellent experience – I’m definitely a new regular customer of Jay Kelly Studio!

The cut was alright, but I thought he was pretty rude the whole time. I had a short bob while I was on vacation and had to find a place in the area for trimming. He was very critical about my cut and my hair. I am sorry but this is what I got? If you are looking for something «nice,» this will probably be the perfect place. But if you are looking for something edgy or different, I am not sure if this will be it. I also thought the place was pricey ($ 40 for shampoo and trim), considering it was under the $ category. False advertisement alert, I asked for the half off special that was posted on the Unilocal page and he said «I don’t have any Unilocal special. I am VERY affordable.» Well there you have it!

Jay gave me awesome highlights and lowlights, restoring my hair to it’s natural color. His cut was also great, giving me much needed volume to me hair. His prices are fair and he is a great guy! I would recommend his services.

Jay is the only person in Austin I trust with my hair! After going to a fancy, overpriced salon and coming out with a basic cut for an obscene amount of money, I searched on Unilocal and am thrilled I found Jay. I have long, straight hair and I have Jay add more layers every time to give me some volume when I curl my hair. All I do is show him a picture and my hair comes out better looking each time. I pay $ 35-​$ 40 for my hair cut, shampoo, style and good conversation. Also, I can text Jay for a haircut appointment and he either gets me in the SAME or next couple of days! Who does that?! Jay Kelly does. Go see him!

AWESOME SERVICE! I really like Jay Kelly. He really does know what he is doing. Before we started the haircut, he asked me what I wanted and showed him pictures. Throughout the haircut, before he would cut a certain section, he would stop and explain what he is about to do & would give options such as (face framing layers vs none or bangs vs none). Most hair stylists just cut your whole head of hair & then ask you in the end if it looks okay, which most of the time is not. But Jay kelly does not do that all and really does take his time! (: I would definitely recommend!

I meant to write this review several months ago, when I made an appointment with Jay, based on these glowing Unilocal reviews.
The reviews are true. Jay Kelly spent a lot of time discussing what he thought would be suitable for my hair, and I was relieved that he had some ideas that were subtle and not necessarily typical that would also look professional without aging me.
I got several compliments after my cut. I am not one to color or highlight, but people noticed how polished my hair looked immediately after, and even the days following after I washed it and styled it myself. I believe this is due to his skill and his instinct.
He charged me $ 35 after spending a great deal of time w/​me and blowing my hair out. Keep in mind, I have a lot of thick hair which I know adds labor.
I highly recommend Jay.

Jay is awesome. Best highlights and color I’ve ever had. I’ve been coming here for over 15 years. Cuts are great, too, and his prices are very reasonable.

I called Jay on a whim after attempting to color my own hair… I went in with a mess y’all! Jay got me in on a Sunday in about an hour. The time flew by and he really fixed my hair… And the price is very reasonable. I found my new hair stylist! Thanks Jay!

This guy is great, he did my highlights and lowlights in the early summer and I walked out feeling like my hair was made of shimmering gold. He captured the look I was hoping for and it turned out better than I expected. It was also affordable, especially for the impeccable quality of the highlight job, and he’s fun to talk to.
The next time I go to him, I think I’ll just let him do whatever he wants with my hair because I can tell he knows what he’s doing.

After living in Austin over 3 years, I think I’ve finally found my hair stylist! I met Jay about 3 years ago but I guess I never really knew his profession until last week!
I called Jay yesterday and he said he could get me in today. He did a color, cut and style. He was professional and explained everything he was doing as he went through the process. I even learned a little about how to work with my hair in the tough spots. In the salon, the color almost looked like it did when I went in there … BUT, once I got home and looked at it, it was a little darker and I just loved it. The style seemed to fit my face and I’m very happy with my «new do!»
This is a great salon with an owner that knows his profession and how to make his customers happy. Thank you Jay… see ya again soon!

I went here on a friend’s recommendation; her boyfriend also gets his hair cut by Jay. They both have lovely styles. Jay saw me the same day I called.
I just had a regular haircut. Jay understood a lot of things about my hair that previous stylists did not — blending, problem areas (I have a spot where I get some hairs that just kinda stand out and had never been addressed before). I came with a vague idea of what I wanted — something hybrid that I could have fun with when I wasn’t at a client site for work, but could transform into something professional looking when I needed. I got that and more. When I left, I was a little unsure of the cut he gave me — it was something new and I didn’t feel immediately comfortable with it. Now, since I’ve looked at photos of my previous looks, I can see that this is one of the best cuts I’ve ever had. Jay has a certain intuition about my look that previous stylists and myself never achieved. He saw what others could not.
Jay’s place is a studio, not a barbershop, so don’t expect that. I like the oldschool barbershop feel, the scents, the atmosphere, the massage, the hot towel. I can easily go without all that to have this master work on my hair.
He’s fun, communicative and full of great stories. The whole experience was extremely comfortable.
I absolutely love my hair!