Llanos

Jonathan Castellanos is living his passion, it’s inspiring to experience such a skilled and creative individual at work. His spirit and pride are not only reflected in the services he provides, but in the design details of his space and the genuine care he has for his craft and his clients. I followed Jonathan from Baxter Finley Barber & Shop simply because he has done an amazing cut every single time. Getting to know him over the years has been a privilege, I look forward to my hour session at Llanos and spending some time with him each month. Jonathan truly is an artist at work.

Over the next few years, a lot of the Unilocalers here will talk about what they experience first-​hand, which is Jonathan’s craft. They’ll write up reviews of how meticulous he is, how carefully he uses every minute of every appointment. You’ll read gushing reviews of his greatness, and I’ll let those reviews do that part.
I’m gonna give you a different perspective.
I’ve followed Jonathan through three pit-​stops through Los Angeles over a five-​year period. That makes him my longest relationship in this ass backwards town. And unlike all the many failed relationships I’ve had since starting with him, the reason ours has worked – the reason any relationship will ever work – is trust.
Jonathan breeds trust from your first consultation onward. It’ll begin with how he respects your time, then truly blossoms during his evaluation and recommendation. You notice this almost surgeon-​like professionalism as he asks a few knowing, loaded questions, and evaluates things, and lays out his plan. You suddenly know you’re in expert hands.
Then you suddenly know something else. This is no monthly errand.
An errand is simply a classification by whoever’s running it. After a few cuts, it’ll click that this monthly visit isn’t so much a recurring to-​do, but a must-​do. It’s your every-​four week chance to collaborate on your better self.
I’ve seen Jonathan work in three different shops before opening his own, and he stood out. Not cause of the arm tats (they’re sweet) or his hairstyle (it fluctuates), but because nobody else in those places treated a haircut like he does, which is to say, with a craftsman attention to detail and execution. You’ll see it in the way he keeps a meticulous shop, in the way his workman’s apron is always clean, in the satisfaction he’ll demand from not just you, but himself at the end of a job-​well-​done. You’ll feel it as he transitions smoothly from one stage of the appointment into the next, an expert flow not unlike an athlete’s.
He’ll trim back the layers, he’ll ultimately redefine you, and he’ll do that as he gets to know you. That whole trust-​your-​barber thing applies to Jonathan, who treats his customers as a big extended family, introducing them to one another and keeping in touch socially, both online and off.
Your appearance matters a lot in this town. You can trust Jonathan with that, because nobody will take that responsibility more seriously, or with more commitment, and that’s why he’s been followed so loyally from shop to shop, and why every shop left behind falls back to the same-​old, same-​old.
Those guys are doing their jobs and working for tips. Jonathan’s doing his life’s work.

Jonathan is truly an artist.
One look and he knows exactly how to make you look your best. He takes his time to get to know you and your needs, then takes the entire 1hr session to fade and blend your hair. He literally will bend down and stare at your individual strands of hair to make sure they’re up to his standards.
Then he washes your hair. Make no mistake this is no ordinary hair-​wash. He carefully fans a menthol towel over your nose then gently lays it on your face, then begins to massage your scalp and wash your hair.
By the time he styles your now-​luscious, perfectly-​cut hair, your face feels so fresh and soft like you just had a facial.
Give Jonathan a try and you’ll completely understand why he’s booked a month in advance.