Rock Paper Scissors Salon

I have been coming here for years getting a great cut from Roger who is amazing with nice tight fades. I come in one day and my normal $ 20 haircut was 35 dollars, now I have no problems spending 40+ on a good hair cut but when I had a great deal that then almost doubled… needless to say I will no longer be going here. Sorry Roger, but please go to him for a nice fresh cut

The owner Tony is great. Cut and color is always on point! I’ve been coming here for two years and love it. Great place, great music, talented stylists.

Am absolutely in love with my hair today. Thanks to Rob! Been here twice. The first time with Mia and now, Rob. He spent quite some time understanding the color I wanted and how I wanted hints of red thrown in too. Was very patient deciphering my elaborate demands. And the color came out just perfect. I love how he styled my hair after the cut. Totally worth the time and money. Side note– they don’t accept discover and prefer gratuity in cash,

So I signed up for Unilocal just to write this review to say I had probably the most painful hack job haircuts ever, and I’ve let my friends who have never cut hair before cut my hair. They had walk-in’s for $ 35, which is really the only plus of the whole experience. I sat down and asked for basically one thing: keep my hair long enough for a ponytail. The guy takes a good 20 minutes to buzz the sides of my head, which was fine at first until he gave me a line up (which now that I’m looking at it looks a little crooked but that might be my face), and it felt like he was dragging a serrated knife across my skin. Some places are uneven, but whatever, it’s just the sides-it’ll grow out quickly. But once he got to the top oh my god. So to preface this I have (had) one of those haircuts where it’s buzzed on the sides and the top section is about 10 inches long on average so I can tie it up. One request: keep it long enough to tie it up. Nope. The guy cuts so much of it off that the front half can’t be put up, and that’d be fine if it looked good, but it looked like someone just pulled all my hair forward and cut it in one line so it’s blunt and choppy. By this point I really just want to leave the salon because it can only get worse, so the guy’s blow drying my hair forward and I ask (in hopes that it’ll magically fix everything) «could you blowdry it backwards?»
«Oh yeah I know what you want. I just have to dry it first»
Now I’m no professional hairstylist, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed dry hair in the direction you want it to fall. He starts trying to blow dry my hair backwards after it’s already dry and who would have thunk it, it did not want to go backwards. I’m 90% done at this point and then he’s like «ok try putting it up.» Nope. I’ve since recut it myself and have to style my hair differently now. I think his name was Roger?

Update. The stylist I loved left. The other stylists I had been to were really quick & sloppy with me, and most had a ‘tude. Not worth it for me.

I had my hair done by Mia. She was wonderful. Not much of a talker which is exactly what I want when I’m getting pampered. I love just reading and having someone worry about my hair. She was a wonderful blow dryer but she took off to many inches. Luckily i have the mentality that it is just hair and grows back and thankfully she did a wonderful job. Unfortunately here you have to watch to make sure they aren’t taking off too much and exactly what you want. When I go to a salon I don’t want to have to pay attention to every move my stylist makes.

I got a really bad haircut there. I have long hair and the guy who cut my hair cut it with a razor??? Are you kidding me? I understand to trim the bangs with a razor but the whole hair? It looked really bad-​the ends were all white for a while. He did the color nice though.
While I was waiting for my appointment another girl was cutting a customer’s hair (long hair). She didn’t use a razor but she couldn’t even cut it straight in the back.
Overall, BDA HAIR SALON! It’s cheaper than most of the places on Newbury St but they don’t have professional stylists.

living in boston, I walk by this cool looking place all the time, but previously already had a set salon so I never really had a need to go in. recently, however, i had been needing to switch salons. some of my closest friends & sorority sisters all recommended rock paper scissors, and on top of that, i found an unbeatable deal in the collegiate coupon book– $ 99 for cut & color. that’s pretty awesome for a place on newbury street! my mind was made up: i called, and travis booked me the closest appointment and was super patient with my crazy schedule.
appointment day came and i couldn’t be anymore excited or nervous. however, the second i stepped inside my nerves were gone. being on newbury, i figured this place would be fancy shmancy & pretentious– not at all! the whole vibe in there was a laid-​back but sophisticated chic. anyway, i met with mia, my hairdresser right away.
what i was going for was SUPER complicated, and i was a slight pain in the ass with all of my pictures of what i wanted and even pictures of ways that i didn’t want it to come out. i wanted my too-​dark hair to be a warm caramel tone with subtle highlights by the time i left. i’ve asked for this before and every time it has come out absolutely awful. mia asked a bunch of questions to make sure she knew exactly what i wanted. all of the processes took a while, but time is beauty and i get that. she was so great and sweet throughout everything, making sure i knew what was going on every step of the way.
the end product, and i’m not even exaggerating, was more perfect than i could have imagined! best cut, color & overall salon experience ever hands down! so, if you’re specific about your hair, don’t hesitate to go here because you will get what you want. or even if you’re not, i’m sure the staff will think of something awesome for you. rock on, people of rock paper scissors. keep doin your thang.

Up until I was 15, I’ve only allowed 2 people cut my hair, and one of them was my mother. Within the last 6 years, I’ve managed to some how let an additional 7 people experiment with my hair. I wouldn’t say that I’m very ‘picky’ with hairdressers, but obviously once a do goes wrong, you’re never going to see my face at the at Salon EVER again. BUT I have found someone I do trust with my hair.
I’ve been going to Rock Paper Scissors for a little over 2 years now and it was really a coincidence on how I ended up there. I was going through a phase, when the ‘semi/​half shaved’ hairstyle was starting up, and decided one day, while walking down Newbury, that ‘HEY! I kinda wanna do a semi shave’, and whatta do ya know! I ended up walking by RPS. I walked in, asked if anyone was available, Roger was, and ever since then, he’s taken me under his wings.
I was quite nervous about the cut, I’ve never really done anything that out of the box, it’s normally just regular trims, cuts, layers, bangs, and bobs for me, so to shave a good 4″ by 5″ inch off of my hair, that was a bit startling, but Roger made me feel very comfortable, and totally supported the idea, which was just the push I needed! He talked me through it, step by step, as he was trimming the hair, buzzing the hair, and pretty much completing the look. The other hair stylists made me feel even more comfortable by coming over, and chit chatting it up, in reference to how ‘good’ it looked. (I’m sure it’s their job to say things like that, but it’s pretty much what I needed to hear at that time).
That was quite a milestone for me, and because Roger did do a good job, I decided to give the Salon another shot, and came back the next time for haircut. I normally just stick with the basics, when it comes to my hair. I still get trims, and layers, and every now and then, I’ll get chinadoll or side sweep bangs, I’ve even gotten a keratin treatment/​perm there, so I’ve gotten to know the ropes a bit more, and I’ve been able to see Roger’s techniques more. It’s good to know that somebody can take care of this asian hair of mine!

I was VERY surprised how good my cut was here.
I came in on a whim one Saturday afternoon after seeing a sign in their window advertising a pretty cheap cut ($ 45). This is TOTALLY out of character for me. I am usually all over Unilocal before I get a haircut, but I was feeling spontaneous that afternoon and had some time to kill. I also REALLY needed a cut.
They couldn’t take me right away, but I walked around for about an hour and came back to see Sammi.
I will say, as I got my hair washed, I got a little worried. I started looking around the salon, and I realized I stuck out like a sore thumb. It had a metro, clubbish kind of vibe that was cool but also kind of over the top in some ways.
Well I was wrong.
Sammi gave me GREAT advice about my hair (she suggested that I grow it out but to give it a lot more shape). It’s a really awesome/​versatile cut. She also blew it dry in a way that, despite the humidity, had my frizz/​curl-​prone hair bouncing like Jessica Simpson’s. Plus, Sammi outfitted me with a shower cap when we both realized that a thunderstorm had rolled in.
Overall a good experience! I can’t wait to go back.

Tony cut my hair here. I told him I was growing it out, and that I wanted to continue to be able to put it in a ponytail.
The good news: the cut was pretty great for my hair. The bad news: after the cut, I could not put it in a ponytail. He noted this, and said, «You shouldn’t be wearing it in a ponytail, anyway.»
Although my hair admittedly looks fantastic, it’s kind of a dick move to take the length decision out of my hands, and ultimately, the paternalistic approach would keep me from returning here if I still lived in Boston. Fuck the patriarchy, man.
Also, the girl who washed my hair acted like she’d be happier chewing off her own arm.

Like Molly F, I am a salon ho, and I jump around looking for a great cut for less than 80 dollars. From now on, I’ll stay at RPS.
–Great cuts
–Great prices ALL WOMENS CUTS ONLY 45 $ WTF???
–Amazing Newbery St location
–Good ambiance
–Just don’t go to roger!
I walked by this salon and saw a woman getting the most perfect long bob that I’ve been dieing for. They couldn’t take a walk in, so I made an appointment for the next week.
I loved my cut. I’m one of those people who usually really wants input from my stylist because I have no clue what would look good. I told her the length I wanted and my personal style (girly, preppy, clasic) and she made it look amazing. She explaned why she was doing what she was doing, and it made so much sense and looked great.
I came back again a week ago with a very specific idea and some pictures. Again, I got a great cut. My stylist did what I asked, but fixed it a little so that my awkward curly frizzy waves look cute when they air dry. (I can by lazy about styling.) Awesome!
Sadly, I took my friend and Roger butchered her hair. Nothing like what she asked for, and looked terrible. I looked at her and squeeked «Oh… it’s so… different.» We both cracked up. Read the revies here; the bad ones are for Roger. RPS should have way more stars.

I tried RPS because of the promotion they had going on: «Bring a friend and you both get 50% off a cut/​color!» Couldn’t pass it up so I grabbed a friend and made an appointment ASAP. I was kind of scared because I usually get my hair cut by Asian people since they know how to work with my thick hair. Had nothing to worry about — the end result exceeded my expectations.
So what happened was: I walked in, was greeted by the receptionist, got seated, met my stylist Kat (She’s cool, down to earth, and is really into art), we talked about what I wanted to do with my hair, got my hair washed, and then the cut began. She also gave me really useful tips to make my hair more voluminous.
Here’s my new haircut:
My old stylist could never get my side bangs exactly how I wanted it, but Kat nailed it.
QUICK TIP — You should follow them on twitter: rpssalon. They usually update their weekly promotions there so you can score a great deal.
Oh & I didn’t give 5 stars because I didn’t get a hair massage during the wash like they do at Le Gala in Chinatown. I know it’s not part of the whole hair cutting process but it would make the experience more enjoyable.

Great cut! Fun, funky salon.
Tony is really fantastic, seems to be really excited about what he does and it shows in a great cut! I’ve got long wavy/​curly hair which is sometimes difficult to deal with, and he really excelled. I was referred by a coworker (they’ve got an awesome referral system.)
can’t wait to go back.

I have been growing my hair out since I was in Jr. High after a traumatic hair cutting experience. I would just go in for a trim and nothing more. Everything was all one length. After about 10 years of having the same hair style I decided to branch out and get some layers. I went to Salon back home in NM and basically got a horrible butchered cut. I let it grow for about 3 months while doing some seriously anal research about salons in Boston. I would literally go up to random girls on the street that had a hair style that looked like something I wanted and would ask them where they got it cut, I had a little book that I would take notes in with the name of the Salons and the persons name who cut their hair.
After Unilocal review reading and salon website browsing I landed on Rock Paper Scissors Salon, and a stylist named Tony (whom is also the owner.)
I came in and explained my fears about hair cuts, told him what I was looking for and explained why my hair was such a hack job. After combing it out I could see the look in his face of «what was that stylist thinking when she cut her hair.»
He did an incredible job. He evened everything out and made it beautiful. You cant even tell that there was ever a bad cut in there.
I only got a cut, but I think I will go and try one of their Keratine treatments (50% off right now!!!) and maybe a color.
I think this is my new hair stylist in Boston.
Also, for Newbury, I felt like the prices were really affordable. Keep it up RPS!!!

As someone who is still relatively new to the city, I have been on a quest for my new stylist. The first place I attempted on Newbury St was overpriced and not worth it. Rock Paper Scissors Salon was good but I am not sure if it will be my new permanent salon or if I will try somewhere else next time.
I was very excited that I called in two days before and was able to get an appointment. I had my hair cut by Sami. She was nice but didn’t really talk very much. She was also in the process of dying someone else’s hair and would leave me periodically. I understand, it is a good way to maximize your time but I was making a drastic hair change and wanted her to walk me through it and let me know how it was going to turn out, which she was unable to do. Anytime I would ask her how something would be, she would say that she just had to do it to find out. My haircut ended up looking great, but I was very nervous for most of it and just wanted some reassurance that it was going to turn out how I envisioned it.
All in all, I am pleased with the haircut, but I am still undecided on whether I will return here or continue the quest for a new stylist.

I’m promiscuous with my hair salons. I tend to jump from stylist to stylist, always on a quest for a better haircut. My relationship with Boston hair dressers since moving here has been a series of awkward first-​dates that never really progress any further. My last stylist saw me twice… but then I didn’t come back for literally a full year. So… On a whim, a few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to cut my hair and get bangs. that night. …and I wasn’t taking no for an answer.
I put a message out across my social networks and a friend of mine suggested to me via twitter that I give Sami a try. I was psyched when she could fit me in that night.
She asked all the right questions, took her time getting to know more about my hair, and gave me a cut that has since inspired at least 3 friends to visit her for their own hairstyles. The cut is effortless, has style, and is EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! she didn’t take off too much length, she made me my tired style look cool, and showed me ways i could style it, easily, because I am a complete moron when it comes to doing my own hair. Better yet, when I went back and visited 2 days later to see if she could take a little length off my bangs she was able to squeeze me in on the spot while her other clients highlights set.
This past weekend, my friend was in town & loved my new hairstyle. We were able to book her a cut on a Saturday afternoon and she walked out feeling like a million bucks. A woman literally stopped both of us and told us how grea tour hair looked (Sami gave me a lil trimmeroo and straightened my hair… fabulous! thank youuuu!) and basically said to her stylist she wanted her hair cut JUST like my friends. Do you get a bigger compliment? no. not possible.
From now on, Rock, Paper Scissors is my jam. We’re facebook official (you can ‘like’ them right now, go, now, go!) so its the real deal, obvs. Thank you, Sami. see you sooooooooon!

Loved this place! Went on a recommendation from a friend and was really happy with everything. Sometimes you just get bored with your hair and need a change and they were perfect for a fun new hair style. I had a wash, cut and blowdry.
They start with sitting you down and asking some questions about your normal routine (what do you normally do to style your hair, how does it naturally fall, how much time do you take prepping in the morning, etc.). The stylist looked at my hair, got my answers, and gave her opinion on what might work. I agreed and she got to work.
The cut took a while (I have really thick hair). She cut it, blowdried it, then cut it again when dry. When it was done, I was hoping for it to be a bit shorter, and she was fine with making the extra cuts.
Overall, I was really impressed with this funky little shop on Newbury Street. A cut for $ 45? Unheard of in this neighborhood. I’ll definitely be back!

Went back as they sent me a coupon where if I brought in a friend we’d both get 50% off. This time I saw Tony, the owner, and only got a cut because I was afraid of what the color might turn out to be this time. He did a fantastic cut and spent a lot of time on it. It was a Friday night and I went out that night and got a lot of comments on how good it looked! Since he did so well, I decided to come back and get my color done by him. That also turned out great — and I even was a bit iffy about it at first because it was so dark, but it’s faded just a teeny bit and I LOVE it now! I’m not gonna give the place 5 stars yet, because of my experience with Sammy, but if it was based on Tony alone it’d be a full 5 stars!
***Update 2/​12*** 5 Stars! Tony is now my go-​to guy on the East Coast! While i’ve moved to NYC, I’ve come to him every time I come back up to Boston. I haven’t found anyone great here in NYC yet (that isn’t extremely overpriced), so I make the time to hit up RPS when I’m around! (Or wait til I go home and see my girl in LA). So glad Tony could fit me in this past weekend! Oh — and a bunch of my friends now go to RPS as well and they all love it too.

This is a new salon, sister to Enzo and Co. right down the street! I headed here last week in a desperate attempt to fix a botched haircut I received from Salon Luna in Porter Square. A friend with awesome hair gave me the heads up on this place. if only I knew about it before! ALL haircuts are $ 45 flat as part of their philosophy– $ 45 on Newbury Street! I love it! It was a chill environment and everyone was really nice, no snobbishness. Mia was excellent and very knowledgeable about how to approach my thick, wavy/​curly hair. She wears hers long too, so I trust she’ll listen to my requests for trims only ;) A great experience, I’ll be back!
PS– I found if you refer a friend you get a free styling product. I went home with some awesome pomade.