Winam Hair Studio

I’ve had the same long hairstyle for about 20 years. Recently I’ve been feeling like it was time for a change so I decided to donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
I found out about Winam Hair Studio on Unilocal (of course!) and found it super convenient to book my appointment with Hillary online. Did you know that she has super early morning appointments available? Believe it or not, I chose a 6:30am appointment so I could go to work afterwards!
There is metered parking in back of the building; the studio is upstairs. It is so cute — very zen-​like. Soon after I sat down, Hillary’s partner asked whether I’d like espresso or a flat white. I opted for a flat white (delicious!) which he brought out to me with a cookie. There was also an adorable, well-​behaved small dog there. I thought to myself, the dog could be a hair therapy dog. I know I had been feeling anxious about my haircut but who can be unhappy around a dog?
Hillary made me feel so welcome. She was so positive, complimentary, and upbeat. She immediately put me at ease. She knew that taking off quite a bit of length might be emotional for me and acknowledged that before and during my cut. While Hillary is super down to earth, it’s obvious that she’s an expert. She asked me for my input, gave recommendations, and explained how and why she was cutting my hair throughout the cut.
I had a wonderful experience and I’m extremely happy with my new style. Hillary is also pretty affordable — I chose the Green Cut (which is a dry cut) and it was $ 35.
I definitely see myself returning to Winam Hair Studio!

I love my haircut! Hillary and her staff are the best! The salon has a very zen like, relaxing atmosphere. I was offered espresso or green tea when I came in. Hillary took her time with me to make sure what type of haircut would work on me, and it was definitely worth the time and money spent! At other salons I would usually get a haircut and be ok with it and then never go back. After this experience I am already planning my next visit!

I love Hillary! I have curly hair, so getting a haircut can actually be quite terrifying, so much can go wrong if you don’t know how to cut curls and I’ve had a multitude of terrible haircuts in the past. Hillary gave my hair manageability for the first time in years. She understood how to cut my hair so well, that I barely have to style it anymore, I literally just roll out of bed and my hair looks amazing! The thing I love the most about this place is that Hillary could easily get away with charging her clients hundreds of dollars for the top quality of her hair cuts, but she does the job for the love of what she does. You are not paying an arm and a leg when you come in here, but you are getting a top quality high end hair cut regardless! I definitely recommend this place!

The most pleasant hair cut/​color experience I have had in a long time. When I first walked into the salon my impression was that it was modern and «Very Zen» with a huge scroll hanging of Buddha and simple plants placed around. I was so excited to try Hillary for weeks bc of the Unilocal reviews. Hillary’s business partner Kristine graciously greeted me. She asked if I would like an expresso or green tea. Since I don’t drink coffee or tea I asked for plain water. I did like that extra special touch. Then I was horrified to find out I was an hour late! I had changed my appointment once to another date and time. Although I had changed the date on my calendar, I hadn’t changed the time. Hillary was so kind to tell me it wasn’t a big deal. Now what salon does that?
As I was waiting for my turn and waiting while my hair was being colored I observed clients with a variety of hair types from very long, straight and thick, to long and naturally curly, and short pixie like. Everyone liked their cuts!
So back to my experience… I showed Hillary a bunch of photos of cuts I liked and why. Then I said «But you can do what you want to make me look great!» She explained what she was going to do with hairstyling terminology and used hand gestures to help paint a clearer picture. It made sense. As I was watching Hillary cut my hair she wasn’t as flamboyant as Edward Scissor Hands, but her style of cutting reminded me of him bc I couldn’t really follow what she was doing.
Let me say, my hair was on the short side already but grown out without any style, so she didn’t have a lot of hair to work with. I’ll cut to the chase. Ha! Get it? Anyway, I really liked the color Kristine gave me and honestly I wasn’t sure if I loved my new cut Hillary gave me at first. I usually decide if I like a cut after I get home and wash/​blow dry it myself. It seemed choppy to me.
The next day, at my family’s Christmas party my cousins who automatically give their reviews liked it and one wanted to try Hillary herself.
As I wash and style it more, I am liking it.
I do have to mention Hillary’s personality. She is «Off-​the-​wall» funny, kind of bizarre and untraditional, takes her skills and business seriously (Who is willing to come to work at 5am.) very accepting of people, and extremely kind. These
people you want to succeed! I put 4 stars instead of 5 bc I wasn’t sure about my cut initially. I do want to give it another go in a few months. It was a wonderful experience.

Best haircut of my life. She’s so knowledgeable, thorough, and direct. I learned so much about my hair and hair in general today. She listened to what I wanted and gave me what will work best for my hair texture. I can see how she received the Top 100 Salons in America award 3 different times. Very impressive!

Amazing haircuts!
I think Hillary Juliette gives one of the best cuts on the island!
I have been to the Winam Hair Studio about a half dozen times now. And for the first 5 times I was very conservative an cautious with my cut. I have very very curly hair, and that is a texture that is easily messed up at the salon. Everytime I visit Hillary she asks me many questions about how I like my hair cut, how I style it and what I do and don’t like. She really listens to my directions to give a cut I will be happy with.
The last time I went to the studio was a little less than an month ago, and I just went for it! I told Hillary I was looking for shorter hair and a style (I also got a gloss color). Hilary did an amazing job! At first I was a little shocked, but almost a month later and I get non-​stop compliments on my hair! The cut and color both look rich and fantastic.
I would absolutely recommend Winam Hair Studio!

Another awesome appointment. Got my sexy back. Love Hillary and her team. The color is amazing and recommend the gloss package, gives you amazing shine. P. s. the espresso is an added bonus.

got a green cut today! Hillary did an amazing job figuring out what kind of cut I would like. I came in with a few pictures and she asked me some questions to fit the style to me :) LOVE IT. I like that it’s such a calming environment and they’re all so cheery! i definitely will be returning!

What kind of a weirdo gets their hair cut when on vacation a continent away? This girl.
I was on vacation in Honolulu, but meanwhile I had just moved to new city so I was in between stylists. I decided Hawaii would be my best chance of finding a stylist who would know how to cut Asian hair. I found Winam on Unilocal and was thrilled to find out that the green cut is a dry cut. Lemme tell you about my hair: Every time I sit in a new stylist’s chair, they exclaim «Woah, you have a lot of hair.» Really thick, coarse, long hair. Ponytail elastics are single-​use items for me. Dry cuts always work best on me and not many stylists do it.
I showed up with my hair washed and blow-​dried. Hillary confirmed that yes, I did have a lot of hair. I told her I wanted to keep the length but I don’t mind having a lot of it chopped out with lots of texture and layers; anything to lighten it up. I was confident in her, and she was not afraid! She went at it like Edward Scissorhands — super fast and hair just kept coming out. I ended up with a cool long shag cut. Weeks after coming home, I’ve gotten tons of the compliments from strangers. My mother liked it, and she always hates my haircuts!
The crazy thing is that this cut was only $ 35. The same quality would cost at least $ 140 here in DC so I’m trying to figure out how to work a haircut as justification for regular trips to Hawaii.

A great small salon! Everyone there is so friendly, and I agree with the other reviewers — Hillary really knows how to cut hair. I had a shaggy, grown-​out mop and she straightened it out in a flash. Highly recommended!

GET YOUR HAIRCUT HERE. Period.
Where do I start!?? I’ve only been living on the island for a little over a year so I really had no idea where to go for a good haircut. My friend referred me to Hillary because she said «I love the lady who cuts my hair and I keep going back to her». Now I understand why.
Hillary is absolutely, 100% the best hair stylist that’s ever cut my hair. I have super thin hair so I actually hate going to have my haircut because the stylists get so judgey and make me feel uncomfortable… They treat me like my hair is hopeless and like I deserve zero effort on their end to style my hair. I convinced myself that haircuts aren’t even worth paying for because of how I’m always treated.
Hillary made me feel like a NORMAL human being with NORMAL hair. I was actually the one to mention that my hair was thin and she didn’t say a single thing that offended me. I felt like I should have paid her double what she charged me for how great she made me feel!!!
She really explains how haircuts are structured (which is why I can now tell the similarity between my haircut and my 2 other friends who got their haircut here). MY HAIRCUT IS PERFECT AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
Her husband built the salon and it gives a very calm, spa-​like vibe. I loved it the second I walked in. The only down side to this place is they are only opened early in the morning until about lunch time on Tuesdays, Thursday’s and weekends. But getting a haircut at 6:30am is actually a nice way to start your day!
I will NEVER ever go to another salon!!! Thank you Hillary for your one of a kind service!

Hillary knows hair! She is knowledgeable about what hairstyles will look good on your face structure, how the hair will grow out, what lengths to cut it to make add volume, etc.
Hillary ask me what I wanted. I told her I wanted a shorter cut, but was concerned about my angular jawline. She addressed my concern, informed me on what she planned to do, and it turned out better than I could have hoped. Everyone loved my new hairstyle, including my mother (the harshest critic out there).

I don’t normally review hair salons because unless they do me wrong, it’s all pretty much the same to me.
However, Hillary at Winam is amazing. She and her staff made me feel like a princess. Gave me awesome espresso, washed and dried my hair, primped and pampered me and basically made me feel like going to the salon was like being queen for a day.
That being said, let me talk about the cut. Sooo, I was hemming and hawing about whether or not to go short. The last time I did, I had years of regret and sadness. However, I’ve been enamored with pixie cuts lately so I was thinking maybe it was time to give it another shot.
I was hoping Hillary could advise me on whether or now it would look good on me or match my face or hair. When I asked, I was surprised by her honest answer of deference. She basically said, she’ll give me a cut that will be awesome and that she’ll personally love but that won’t mean that I will love how it looks on me. Which I totally understand. I have personally seen clients bitch out hairdressers for giving them exactly what they asked for. So I get it.
She did say she could do short in the back that leads up to a longer look in the front which would look less shocking to me. I figured that would be the best of both worlds, so I went for that.
You have to understand that I’m Japanese but I don’t have Japanese hair. My hair is fine and wavy and tends to frizz. I don’t naturally have the type of hair that rocks short cuts, and normally when I go to get a haircut I walk in expecting to get a good even cut and expect to walk out with my hair looking good but knowing the next day it will go back to its normal blah frizzed out look.
Hillary did something that I’ve never had anyone do before. Instead of trying to force my hair to do things it doesn’t want to do, she went with its natural tendencies and gave me a cut and style that I know my hair will accept on the daily. She also made me like and accept my hair, which is a first.
It’s actually not the style I was expecting… But the style she was suggesting was a bob I guess and I am just not in support of that style so I think that was my own fault. Since when she mentioned it, I nixed it. So I don’t have length in the front, but I have to say I can’t imagine liking that style more.
Not sure if I’m gonna love the short hair forever but I’m gonna try to rock this style while it lasts. It’s the best haircut I’ve had hands down, ever! I love the work she did and I love her and her staff! Truly deserving of a five star rating!

My husband and I used to get our hair cut by Hilary, but have since stopped.
The first few times, we each received great cuts and agreed that Hilary is fun to talk with.
After awhile, things changed… Hilary’s work just wasn’t the same– as her business grew and she became much busier, she would rush through our haircuts and on more than one occasion we were left with sloppy, choppy, uneven cuts. The wait time was not worth the end product.
Hilary’s a great person but we questioned her commitment to both quality and service after awhile and decided to move on.

If you’ve been around the HNL Unilocal community, you know that Laurie P. used to rock some of the most stylish cuts. Her secret weapon? Hillary at Winam Hair Studio ;)
After years of trying out various salons with some hits and much more misses-​I finally decided to book an appointment with Hillary. My hair is fine. I am not stylish enough to rock crazy cool cuts. like Laurie I just needed a change and wanted to go back to my favorite hair style (which I had sported years ago).
Booking the appointment was simple, rescheduling it was just as simple. Hillary graciously waited for me when my errands made me about 10 minutes late to my appointment. She was an absolute doll and put my fears at ease immediately. She took a look at the photo I gave her and 10 minutes later, I was in love with my hair again!
Pricing is beyond reasonable! I appreciated the clean space and quick turnaround :)
And if you’re lucky-you’ll get to meet her cute dog!

I don’t leave Unilocal reviews often, but I was so happy with my experience at Winam! Hilary and the gals really know their stuff and tag team clients in a way that works. I’m always nervous to find a stylist when I’m wanting a short cut. I wanted a short cut, not too fussy, will look good after the pool or beach, NOT a mom cut, edgy, but feminine. Lol, picky much? Hilary understood exactly what I was saying. She not only gave me an awesome wash and wear cut, she nailed my highlights and cut my hair in a way that kept in mind my lifestyle and the texture of my hair. I can’t get my hair done every 6 – 8 weeks, so she gave me something that will still look great as it grows until I can come again. The espresso and mochi they bring you is icing on the cake!
A few things to note, when you book online, don’t take that time frame seriously, lol. I booked a 45 minute time slot for cut and color, but I was there two hours. Also, the prices must have gone up because the cut and color when you book says $ 85-​$ 120, however my total was $ 130 (and my hair is short). Still totally worth it, though, I couldn’t get upset because it was such a great experience! Although I would have brought more cash to be sure I had plenty. Come with cash or check, she doesn’t accept credit.
As for parking, if you don’t want to run down and add quarters if you go over the two hour limit, just park behind the Goodwill across Waialai, it’s $ 6 for the day.

It’s hard for me to update my initial review, but things have changed and Winam Studio is just no the same.
After Hilary moved to Kaimuki, I found that she double or maybe even triple books her appointments, so there’s always people there and the services I had done that once took 45 mins (cut & color) now took almost 90 mins. Even when you book your appointment online and it says 15 mins — don’t hold your breath.
Hilary also has assistants who help, at first one assistant just did my color and Hilary did my cut. But the last time I went — one assistant did my color and another did my cut. the only time Hilary touched my hair, was at the end to «inspect» it.
I’m happy that her business is popular, and she deserves all the success, but I no longer go to Winam Studio because it’s not the one woman show that it once was.

Getting my hair done at Hillary’s just upped my cool factor. Seriously. The studio, cooler than most… the ladies taking care of me, cool without even trying… and now with my new do I feel cool enough to keep coming here.
I was a little nervous when I first came in (3^rd salon in approx. A year), but the warmly decorated space and cool, casual, girl chat of Hillary, her assistant, and patrons, welcomed me. Now when I say cool, don’t think Gossip girl cliques cool, think laid back, chill, hipster cool. I was brought to the chair and as Hillary trimmed someone elses hair she helped me decide what hair color to do. (let me just mention that I’ve been a dirty blonde ;) most of my life and that I’ve carefully avoided flipping my hair color as often as you change the TV channels) But I was ready for a change! We settled on a dark brown/​red blend and I took the plunge.
The colorist (Hillary’s assistant… feel so bad I can’t remember her name) sat me down and washed my hair (giving a quick massage that I wished had been longer) and proceeded to put the color on. It is a special gloss color that doesn’t use ammonia so it didn’t burn or have a crazy chemical smell. Then set a heat lamp to my head. I was offered tea or coffee, and a biscotti. Sooner then I expected, it was ready to wash and cut. Hillary have me a choppy layered cut that was different enough to make me happy but kept my length.
It’s been two weeks since I saw her and my hair hasn’t faded much (as she said gloss color does) and I still love the look (as does everyone who sees it –except my hubby… but he hates change). So if you have long hair, don’t be intimidated by all these Unilocal reviews by girls with pixie cuts… Hillary is a hair wizard for any length! Can’t wait to come back!

Hillary is the absolute BEST hairstylist ever … she is so many things —
Down to earth
Generous
Funny
Sweet
Loving
Skilled
Beautiful
Etc, etc, etc.
I am a fan and have found the «one» :)
~ the salon is very stylish, lots of parking, cool and sweet assistant, wee early morning hours, very reasonable prices, and all appts so easy through schedulicity
Mahalo Hillary for being you :)
Aloha

I’m so happy I gave this place a try! After booking my appt. online I received a confirmation email with LOCATION and PARKING information. I ended up parking on the street meters (limit 1 hr) instead of the metered parking lot (limit is 2 hrs) right behind the place, either way it worked out fine, they have quarters available in a small container which you can use for your meter.
When I walked in I was very surprised at how nice the inside looked. The ATMOSPHERE is very relaxing and soothing everything in there is modern chic and sleek. As I waited for Hillary to finish up her appointment she offered me ESPRESSO along with some treats… that was a definite plus.
When it was finally time for my HAIRCUT I told her I wanted bangs but had been told before they wouldn’t look good on me, so I asked for her opinion. So in the end she added LAYERS to my hair and gave me the BANGS I had wanted. She knew exactly what I was looking for and was open to suggestions. I really love my hair cut!
Some more info…
*$ 35 green haircut (no shampoo)
*Free bang trim
*CASH ONLY!
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience: D ! I love this place!