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October 2023 by Justine Avera
Finding a stylist who is good at color and who also knows how to work with fine and straight hair is a challenge, but Barri Chase knocked it out of the park! They custom mixed my color and the experience at Akemi Salon was so warm and welcoming I will definitely be back. Barri turned my mousy ash brown hair from ordinary to extraordinary!Services: Haircut
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October 2023 by Diamond Sanchez
Place seemed very shady. I scheduled an appointment and their door was locked with a keypad which didn't function right. I got very bad vibes from it. Maybe it's a good salon but I would be cautious.
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October 2023 by Bhecka Sin
Akemi Salon is the perfect mix of relaxed, nerdy and playful while still holding a high end aesthetic and experience. Sabi is my stylist and since starting to go to Sabi my hair has become *so* much healthier, happier and has SO much more volume. Under Sabi's wisdom and incredible hair knowledge I've never felt so confident with my hair before.Sabi is kind, gentle, and has a firm strength that creates a warm, safe, space where you can trust that every one of your hair needs will truly be met. Spending time with Sabi is like spending time with an old friend you haven't seen in years. Sabi does gender confirming hair care and will happily teach you how to style so that you feel your best every day.Thank you so much, Sabi. You're the best!
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September 2023 by Allison May Avinzano Cruz
I just moved to Portland and was in search of a queer friendly stylist, and I lucked out in finding Michael aka Sabi. She gave me a warm welcome, was very knowledgeable and walked me through everything they were doing to my hair, and played around with shapes in a way that gave me the most gender affirming haircut I've had to date. Not only was the quality of service incredible, but the convos were also immaculate. As a queer and non-binary person, getting my hair done by a fellow queer person really just does hit different, and I cannot recommend Sabi enough!Services: Haircut
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June 2023 by Sam Knight
Bettie was amazing!! The space was comfortable and safe and she did my hair so expertly!! Great experience, will definitely be back!!
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June 2023 by Taryn E
Sabi (Michael) does amazing colour, has incredible scissor technique, and is the best I've ever had at understanding what I want and getting me there in the most sustainable (for me!) way. He understood the level of effort I was willing to put in, the level of knowledge I do and don't have, and was able to put together a plan very quickly. Wonderful conversation and just a delight. 10/10 will return
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May 2023 by J. Bexx
I'm giving Sabi, sometimes called Michael Bradley, 5 stars, but that's only because that is the maximum number of stars here. A fair review would be more like 20 stars. Being a transfemme I'm always nervous going into these places but not at Akemi and absolutely not with Michael. Sabi put me at ease, gave me really good info and clear explanations, and most importantly did a fantastic job on my hair. I walked out of there with more confidence than I've had in forever.Services: Haircut
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March 2023 by Patricia Filbin
Michael Bradley aka Sabi has been my stylist for over 6 years, they are highly skilled at their craft and I would recommend them to anyone. He is able to take the essence of what I describe and translate it into the colour and style I really want. It can be difficult to find a stylist that is good at both colouring and styling, Michael absolutely excels at both, pairing expertise with taking adequate time to construct the shared vision between client and stylist. He also makes great product recommendations that truly fit what you need.
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December 2022 by Devin G.
I am so glad I found Bettie at Akemi. My hair was a mess (multiple colors and fades) when I first started going to her but she has helped give me the most beautiful hair I've had in my life. And on top of it the look it stays so much healthier than times in the past. I will be seeing her for a long time to come.
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November 2022 by Danielle B.
I visited this salon several months ago and saw Colleen for a cut. The whole experience of entering the salon was strange with their intercom calling the owner directly when she wasn't even there and Colleen was very different than how she represented herself on their site, but the place itself looked clean and nice overall. The cut was not at all what I had wanted or what we discussed. I was very direct in telling Colleen my hair grows very slowly, I didn't want a lot taken off and I needed to be able to put my hair up. She showed no restraint. I remember feeling like I'd been punched in the gut seeing how long the hair falling to the floor was; looking back, I should've just stopped the haircut right then and walked out with wet, uneven hair than let it continue but I sucked it up and let her finish, figured the damage had already been done and I didn't want to create a scene. The layers she added were not at all what I wanted. The worst part about this cut was not even being able to put it up afterwards and having to wear hats and scarves to hide it for months thereafter and through the summer. I finally, just now, months later decided to go for a professional haircut (not here, of course) and I'm so happy. That stylist listened attentively and really did an awesome job evening out those strange layers while not taking much off my overall length. She was a total pro. ETA: I would never return to a stylist that made such an error in judgment and disregarded what I said. There's no correcting when a stylist cuts off entirely too much, damage was already done. It was a really bad haircut, but could have been worse and I wasn't going to take that chance going back to this place. And a refund was never issued; Colleen gave me back the tip I hurriedly left her and only after I pressed for some type of resolve for the errors she made that wouldn't require having to have her recut my hair. And also, I pushed every single button on that intercom and waited for several minutes even after I got off the phone with the owner. I ended up getting in behind someone else who had been let in by another business
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October 2022 by Jacqueline Borel
OMG, like Sabi is the freaking best, i 110% recommend them for your styling service! My extensions always look so natural and beautiful.
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July 2022 by Lyndsey Bryan
I have somewhat difficult, very fine hair. My stylist, Bettie, was great. She even took the time to teach me a few tricks to help manage my ungodly cowlick in a better way. Also as a queer woman, this was the most queer friendly salon I've visited in my time in Portland.Services: Haircut
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June 2022 by Lauren Voswinkel
My experience with Bettie at Akemi was nothing short of stellar. Bettie was kind, personable, and took the time to go over what she was planning to do. When I basically gave her carte blanche to do whatever she saw fit, she not only gave me a fantastic layered cut, but she took the time to finger curl my hair. Friends... It. Looked. Amazing. If I was staying in the area she would ABSOLUTELY be my go-to stylist for anything and everything.Service: Hairstyling
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June 2022 by ankita taneja
Ive been going to Michael at Akemi for the last four years and he is such a pleasant and knowledgeable stylist!! Has given me a range of haircuts from “nice girl” to “messy” :p he is for sure an artist and also has the best recommendations on products as per specific hair types! It was almost impossible for me to find someone who knew how to treat my thick indian hair before i met Michael! I definitely recommend him!!
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February 2022 by Karen Powell
I’ve been seeing Chai at Akemi for years. She is simply amazing with curly hair! Salon is lovely, can’t beat location and they only carry top notch products
