Essence Salon
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: Yes
25 Reviews for Essence Salon
One of Essence Salon's Favorite Reviews
Jennifer cut my hair long, just like I asked -- the first time this has ever happened to me. She found a way to thin my hair without making it look too piecey or mullety, which it tends to do after a cut.
There was a parking spot *right* in front of her salon. A shampoo, cut and dry was $30 with generous tip, which she deserved. This is by far the best combination of cheap and satisfying I've ever gotten with a haircut!
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I have had my hair cut by Jennifer for nearly two years by now, and I have total confidence in her! Many of us want a different haircut, once in a while, but have little idea as to how it should be changed. These days, I just ask her to do as she sees fit. The styles that she picks suit me very well---up-to-date, stylish, plus wash-and-go. My friends, family and colleagues keep on showering me with compliments, and that never happened when I had my hair cut elsewhere. Jennifer is very nice, chatty but never indiscreet, and I simply love her skills and passion to make her customers look good. There aren't many businesses that I can recommend without reservation, and Essence Salon is one of those few.
I called this place on a wimb, desperately realizing that I only had a couple days to get my hair cut before I left for a wedding in LA.
I know, it is my bad because I don't like making a long term commitment for a hair appt, even if it is a week ahead of time. Maybe it is the Sagitarrius in me? Free bird or just impulsive? oh well...
Long story short, Chrissy was a doll and was able to give me an appt immediately. Phew! She was a sweetheart and definitely heeded my requests. It is a no frills salon and very quaint. She cut my hair exactly the way I wanted, just thinning out the poof (well, bulky hair) and keeping the same style, while maintaining the length. My only critique was that she flat ironed my hair without putting a serum or spray to protect it with prior. That made the flat iron pull at my hair a bit and worried me about protecting it from the heat. Small detail but worth noting for you hair freaks out there.
OH, and she offered me a piece of candy, and encouraged me to bring one home to my bf. hehe, little did she know, that both pieces would be for me... (insert menacing laugh here).
Price was great for the area also. 40 bucks for a wash, cut and style! Cheaper than most around... I will definitely be back in a fix.
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Hands down my favorite hair salon. I'll openly admit I am probably one of the pickiest dudes out there when it comes to haircuts. With Essence salon, I can consistently rely on getting good haircuts. Christy had learned to adapt to the exact cut I like, and never screws it up. Recently I had a major event to attend, and she spent extra time on making it perfect so I look good on camera. Both her and the older sister Jennifer are very nice people and super accomodating. Jennifer cuts my fiance's hair, and she is a happy customer as well. In a nutshell, Good location, very clean salon, great service (make an appointment and they won't make you wait), reasonable prices, and most importantly, damn good haircuts. And oh, they always got some real good candy in the goodies jar for when you are done with your haircut. Sweet! Highly recommended.
Cristy is a sweetheart. She cuts my hair and my son's hair. Very skilled and very friendly. Great value.
I got my hair cut by Kristy. This is my favorite hair salon. I even flew back all the way from Chicago to get my hair cut. Kristy is so sweet, and she really knows what kind of hair styles suit me. If you ever want to get a hair cut, this is the place to go!
I've been going here for the past two years. Jennifer cuts my hair and Kristy cuts my fiance's. They are the sweetest people.
Jennifer is very attentive and totally listens to how I would like my hair cut (thinned out, but not super thinned out to the point of mullet-like). She listens carefully and when I say, "just a trim", she does exactly that. I hate those places that when you tell them you just want 2 inches off, you come out with 4 inches off. Jennifer doesn't do that and is careful to keep my hair the long length I like. You just have to explain what you like or don't like and she listens!
She is detail oriented in her work and is very skilled. Each year she returns to Shanghai/Tokyo to take classes to learn about the latest styling trends and strategies. She also helps me with hydration treatment/hot oil treatment and does a great job to make my hair silky smooth. She never tries to upsell and doesn't push products or services on me, which is refreshing.
I always enter the salon with tangled dry hair (since I drag out between trims) and leave with hydrated soft hair that I can't stop running my fingers through! Yay!
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I hear that Jenny is great, but...booking an appointment is difficult as the language gap is frustrating. I just had to cancel my appointment as I have a business function to go to that night, and such an easy call was extremely frustrating. Not even sure if my appointment is cancelled or not.
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I've gotten my hair cut there three times in the past year, and this latest time also got my hair colored\highlighted in a red color. It worked out really nicely, and my hair looks much fuller even though they layered and thinned it (I requested so it would be so much quicker to dry in the morning.)
There seem to be two or three categories of customers who visit Essence: those used to going to really inexpensive (under $20) haircut places, those who have gone well past the $100 limit just for themselves (like myself), and those who have family members and need a good place to bring everyone that is still reasonable, but not a chop-shop.
It seems like the last two categories are the most happy with Essence, since their prices are reasonable for the quality of service, styling and attention. I used to go the Mission in S.F. all the time to visit one of the trendier, expensive salons, and also went to nicer ones, trendy ones in Berlin, as well as on University Avenue. I'm really happy with Essence since they find a good balance between, style, attention, service and price.
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Kristy cuts my hair, my wife's and my son's. She very friendly, and takes her time- about an hour for shampoo, wash, cut, and styling. She does a really nice job consulting you on what your needs are and then does her stying. So far, the whole family is very happy with her.
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I went to Essence in hope that I'd get a stylish mens' haircut, after seeing the reviews here.
The first impression on the phone, when I booked the appointment, was that I'll have a terrible time communicating with Jennifer or Christy in English. That turned out to be true. Their English could really use *a lot* of improvement - after all, they need to understand what the client wants, and explain options, right? I'm not really sure how they manage - maybe because the clientele is mostly Asian (while I got my hair cut, 4 Asian guys were there).
A pleasant surprise was that they washed my hair, twice. First by Jennifer, then by Christy (her sister who specializes in mens' haircuts).
Next, I was asked about the style. I explained very clearly that I want a haircut that doesn't need gel or hairspray to style, and I picked one from a small catalog that Christy gave me. I asked her if my hair is suitable for that and she said yes.
When she was done, my hairstyle had NOTHING in common with the catalog guy's hair. Oh wait, it had something in common - we both had hair.
Although I specifically requested a haircut that wouldn't need added substances, she proceeded to use hair gel and explain me how to do it on my own. Even with the gel, my haircut looked nothing like what I wanted.
The whole experience lasted for 40 minutes and cost $25. I found it unacceptable that I asked for something and got the opposite. I asked, and Christy could've told me "that haircut wouldn't work for your hair", but nope. She went ahead, did her Vidal Sassoon routine, and wasted my money and my time.
I'll never go to Essence again. I was much happier with Lisa's Perfect Cuts in Mountain View, who only charges $8.
I'm one of those people that never gets her haircut at the same place twice. I don't know why that is but it is. I'm also one of those people that goes to the $6 haircut places. Not anymore!! I'm sticking with Essence Salon. I brought 3 pictures of how I wanted my haircut. The person that cut my hair (sorry, I forgot her name) patiently looked them over and we decided on a combination of two of them. She proceeded to give me a great precision haircut that was exactly what I wanted. I will be bringing my daughter soon. The price is right and they do a great job.
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This place is awesome! I have been coming to Jennifer for about 1 year and she has always given me a great haircut that lasts until I'm ready to go back and get another one. She is always very nice and efficient.
If you need a new person to cut your hair or are looking for someone new, go see Jennifer!
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I went in about six months ago for a haircut, and just now got a Yelp account. Jennifer cut my hair, and she was very friendly, the price was good, but I was extremely unhappy with the haircut. I'm not sure if I just didn't communicate what I wanted or what, but I essentially left with a mullet. Mullets are pretty hard to fix. I still haven't gotten my hair back to normal.
From the reviews, it looks like she usually does a good job. Maybe she has only made one mistake? I just wish it hadn't been me!
It's a tad bit expensive ($25 for haircut/shampoo), but I think overall went well with Jennifer
I was worried for two reasons
- how I got to pick any time for an appointment, This place, I called at 5:30pm, got a haircut at 6pm. At JulieQ/Mitri, I have to usually book a day or two in advance.
- how many of the reviews on here are done by reviewers that's reviewed 1 or 2. I thought reviews were done by possible friends.
Jennifer was extremely friendly. My appointment was at 6:30, but I came 30 mins early and Jennifer stopped whatever she was doing and took me to the back to wash my hair. One of the reviewer is right, she really makes you feel sexy by saying "very handsome" "great hair" type of comments. I was given a US and Japanese magazine to choose a hair style from. I pointed at something and said "something like this", and she got excited and took off with it literally. I was scared at first with how fast she cut, but it turned out ok
She recommended her sister, Kristy. Jennifer said she is younger, more energetic and supposedly has all the younger guys coming to her to cut hair so maybe I should try her next time. I'm not 100% sure, but I can swear Jennifer said Kristy is sexier which I'm not so sure if it matters. A bit strange, but I guess I'll update this review once I get my haircut by Kristy next time.
I'm mixed on my conclusion. I probably won't repeat for $25+tip... for $15, I would.
Best haircut ever.
I found this little salon on Yelp, and boy am I glad I did. This is seriously the best haircut I've ever had.
I called and actually got a Saturday appointment AND found parking right outside with no problems.
I went in and told Kristy what i DIDNT like about the last haircut I got somewhere else. I have straight, thin hair and she knew how to layer it in a way that made it look fuller and still left it long but just enough so that it wasnt weighed down and flat. She actually made me want to wear my hair down instead of tying it back!
If you have a specific haircut in mind - make sure you describe it in detail and tell them what you DONT want. She will listen. i.e. I told her I didnt want my hair thinned (like a lot of stylists do) since my hair is already thin.
Don't be intimidated if you're not Chinese. Kristy and the other stylists that work there speak great English and made me feel really comfortable.
Also, let me just add that Kristy gives amazing shampoo/head massages! I almost wanted to fall asleep.
At $40 for a women's haircut, this place is my dream come true.
...I hope I can still get a weekend appointment after this.... :)
I went to Essence a few years back, but found the place on yelp and wanted to share my experience.
People saying they had huge difficulty with communication is an understatement.
I have sleek straight hair that is easy to cut into the choppy Asian styles. And this being an Asian salon, I thought it was perfect.
A guy cut my hair and it looked awful and nothing akin to what we discussed. The only thing he got right was the length we agreed to. I told him it didn't look good to me and can he tweak it a bit and take some bits off. He said it would grow on me and that I should give it a day. If it still doens't appeal to me, come back. I was like ..hmm .. sure. I could do that. (talk about great service I thought)
Sure enough, i still hated it the next day. I go back. The dude who cut my hair wasn't there, but this other lady who nudged me to do the day trial was there. I told her that I was still not happy. She sat me down, cut the edges off , took less than 5 minutes .. and it looked bearable. Then the shocker .. she charged me $25 for the haircut again. I just F***ing paid the day before and over tipped the guy cos he seemed to have given me the option to come back n all that ..
I had to pay twice for a lousy haircut. Will never ever go back.
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Highly recommended. If I could give 4.5 stars I would. This is a sister-owned business and they both have been cutting hair all their life. Instead of asking you what you want, they bring you a book and ask you what closely resembles what you want to look like (although I'm sure you could just tell them). This was really helpful for me because I'm one of those people that have no idea how to explain how my hair should be cut. In any case I got a great haircut for a perfectly reasonable price. I'll definitely be going back!
10:30am: "Hmm I need a haircut."
10:40am: Made appointment for haircut after some Yelp research.
11am: Got hair shampooed, cut, styled.
12pm: Headed back to work.
Jennifer pretty much rocks it at Essence. She was very friendly, knowledgeable about the latest style techniques, and definitely cuts hair from the heart. She took her time (but not too long) making the shape and cut perfect for me, then talked me through blowdrying and flat ironing techniques that I can do at home.
$40 + $10 tip. I'd definitely recommend this! I'm never going to a $90 salon again :)
I have been to Essence thrice so far and have been very satisfied. I go there for haircuts and always ask for Jennifer. She is terrific. The first time I went there I basically just told her that I want a short haircut that looks good on me and that requires the least amount of maintenance. I also pointed out how my hair tends to get very frizzy. Jen then basically did her own thing - she cut my hair real short but gave it a lot of layers and made it such that it frames my face. Price was $45 without tip. While I was a little unsure about the haircut at first..I started loving it soon after. It looked a lot better after the hair grew a little bit more. I always receive compliments for my haircut. I am a true Essence loyalist now.
Awesome! the ladies are fun, friendly and very grateful. It was great. Called them, and 20 min later, was get'n shampoo'd :)
I sat with Christy and she gave me a modern cut I picked from the book - very talented. I'll be back..
Oh yeah.. the price was right..
After reading the other Yelp reviews I decided to give this place a try.
I've now been going for about 9 months and have had haircuts from both Christy and Jennifer.
Both do a great job and I am a very happy repeat customer.
I'm rating this inexpensive because for this level of cut, you would have to pay much more an another salon and not get the great service from Jen or Christy.
I got lucky with finding this place. I found it online but couldn't find any information about it. I walked by and was greeted by Jennifer outside. I got a great haircut. I have been back several times and greeted by name even when I don't call ahead. This is a small salon with two sisters that run it together. They are both entertaining in conversation. It also features a large plasma tv, but haven't been able to take advantage of it since I have never had to wait. Prices are good for a guy who gets a haircut every three weeks.
I am very particular with my haircuts so I was somewhat hesitant trying out yet another salon on the peninsula (I had a really bad experience at a salon in Millbrae).
When I walked into Essence Salon, I was greeted by Jennifer (the owner) who was very friendly and talkative. She proceeded to wash my hair and started asking me about how I'd like my haircut. Jennifer admittedly told me that she specializes in haircuts for women and her sister Christy specializes in haircuts for men. So she asked if I wanted Christy to cut my hair instead, which I agreed to.
Christy was fantastic. She understood exactly how I wanted my haircut and did a great job. Both Jennifer and Christy took their time washing, cutting, and styling my hair. Although this place is a little bit more expensive than what I'm used to paying, it's worth every penny if you don't want to drive to SF for a haircut.
First hair cut was good, second hair cut was awful. It's like she didn't hear a thing I said about how I wanted my hair. Disappointed.
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