Pyara Spa And Salon

I LOVE Pyara. I’ve been a regular client since they were located on Mount Auburn Street. I get my hair done by Shane. After the first appointment with him I knew I didn’t want anyone else styling my hair. Shane is always up for new hair adventures. His color work and haircuts constantly wows the world. I’m always getting compliments on whatever my latest hairstyle is. I can’t wait for my next appointment with Shane! I also see Kristen on a regular basis to get waxed. I’ve tried plenty of other places, and Kristen by far provides the best waxing experience. Everyone at Pyara is always friendly, kind, and happy to help give me the best spa day ever. I’m so grateful to have Pyara in my life.

I had coloring and waxing and wow what a professional and thorough job! Kitty colored my hair exactly as I had hoped, and she explained so many options to me. Kristin did an amazing job waxing. I am so happy with the results. The space was also really relaxing.

I have been going to Jessica for a bikini wax for over a year now at the Cambridge location. She is amazing! Very professional, but also great to chat with to keep your mind occupied and very thorough. I recommend her to all of my friends!

On occasion (about 3 – 4 times/​year) I return to Cambridge, MA from Hong Kong… At some point during my return to Cambridge, I visit Jessica (for eyebrow & lip wax) at Pyara’s Cambridge locale.
For nearly 5 – 6 years, have been consistently seeing her; as she is quite professional and thorough, a pleasure to return…

Katora is their new nail tech coming from MiniLuxe in Newton Center and she is the BEST! My toes always look and feel spectacular, she has a soothing touch and an upbeat personality. She’s very thorough, very gentle, pays close attention to detail and enjoys what she does as it shows in her work! I’m in the beauty biz and know good work –Katora a cut above the rest!

I go to Susie for facials for my acne-​prone sensitive skin. She is delightful– professional, warm, and kind. She is perceptive and smart, and gives thoughtful recommendations for skin care. Since I’ve been seeing her my skin is noticeably improved. I’m so thankful for her and her work– I can’t recommend her enough.

Susie is the ABSOLUTE BEST! Whether its a facial or a wax, I can see I’m not the only one who feels that Susie is a true goddess! I have had my eyebrows, legs and armpits done by Susie for over a year, and won’t have it any other way. She is gentle, precise, and has an amazing eye for brow shape, truly an art form.
In addition, the facial I got from Susie was easily one of the most relaxing hours I have had in years! It was a full body experience, and my face felt shining, glowing and amazing for days after!

I went to Pyara yesterday for the first time, after reading great reviews about it both on Unilocal and on other blogs/​websites. SarahJane did my hair and it was awesome! I had wavy/​curly long hair that I wanted to cut, and she understood exactly what I wanted. In less than one hour I was out and happy. She was really nice to talk to and very professional. I would especially recommend her if you’re considering changing your hair color and want to explore some fun options.
Will def go back and ask to see her. The haircut was a very reasonable $ 45.
The salon looks really modern and I was offered water/​tea/​coffee while waiting for my appointment (less than 5 minutes).

I go to Pyara for their waxing and facial services with Susy. Even though it is a bit pricey, it is completely worth the investment– clean, friendly, and on time services. Every time I come in, I feel like I am treating myself. Susy does a wonderful job with my skin and has great recommendations for me. Overall, very pleased with the services!

The Aveda store I normally go to in Copley Place, Boston closed. After visiting the salon in Boylston st. and much search looking for my beloved Aveda Pure-​Fume, Air No. 4, I ended up at Pyara which is an Aveda Lifestyle Spa and Salon. I had called the spa ahead of time to see if they could provide me with the product I was looking for. They said yes, that they provided the Aveda Sensory Journeys for this type of product. I went the next the day, and was received by a someone at the desk who was at first on the phone for a while, then had no idea of what product I was talking about. I explained that I had called the day before and if he could ask a manager it would be great. As we were having this conversation, another person came in to book an appointment, the salon’s retail rep, instead of calling the manager, immediately started serving the other person. He then proceeded to help yet another person that came in to confirm an appointment. The second client noticed I was getting upset, and proceeded to excuse her self for getting in front of me. I explained it was not her fault, and that in fact she was the 2^nd person placed in front of me, and I had been patiently waiting now for 15min already. Without addressing the situation, the sales person finished confirming her appointment and went to the back to get a manager. After waiting for another 10 min. The manager came out and told me I need it to be a member in order to get this Pure-​Fume. She did not ask me if I was an Aveda member (I have been for more than 8 years), she simply assumed I was not, and proceeded to tell me how she could not help me. At this point, I was very frustrated, not only because I had already been to two other locations looking for this product, but also because I had called ahead of time, and made the trip all the way there. I received terrible customer service, the staff treated me with disrespect, and I felt discriminated against. The manager’s tone of voice and assumptions offended me. As I was ready to walk out the door, another employee noticed our conversation and intervened. She told her manager, she had actually just done a sensory journey for a client the week prior and that she would be able to help me with my request. I was ready to leave, but REALLY wanted this scent. I am very sensitive to strong perfumes and this particular oil scent is the only one I currently use. If it was not for this employee, who was very gracious and was able to provide me with a lotion and a small perfume bottle of Air No. 4. I would not have spent a scent at this business. I love Aveda products, and feel the staff at this location is not knowledgeable about its products at all and had terrible manners. I will never step foot there ever again and will make sure all of my family and friends know not to go there either. Their service was terrible and they do not deserve our business.

LOVE. Need a wax? See Kristen. She is absolutely the best. Is it odd to describe a Brazilian wax as pleasant? At Pyara it is. Worth every penny. Need a haircut/​style/​color? See Chaude. I may be spelling her name wrong (sorry!), but she is a true master at what she does. Make appointments with these ladies and you won’t go wrong.

Updating my review:
Donny followed up with me to apologize for the discomfort, poor treatment, and quality of work by this particular master stylist and indicated that my experience was an aberration and not what they strive for at Pyara. If the stylist had tried to put my hair up in a cap and enabled me to move around to get some air, I would have likely not had the reaction to the dye that I did, which I acknowledge and he agreed was more her failure than an issue with the salon’s ventilation. I very much appreciated Donny’s gesture; to make up for the stylist’s attitude and ineffective application of the color treatment, he offered for me to return for a complimentary service, which he assured would be a better experience. I am happy to see that customers are valued by the manager and the salon!

Finally found a consistent place to get my haircut. My stylist from another place (whom I LOVED) passed away about a year ago and I have been searching everywhere to find a suitable replacement. I am not someone who is willing or cares enough to pay more than $ 50 for a haircut, and this is the place for that. They are usually able to get me in within a few days of calling, and the stylists make sure they understand what I am asking for. My hair is fine, short and curly, and I know it better than anyone. I have had the experience before where stylists try to tell me they know what’s best, but I have never had that at Pyara. Plus, they are open late!

I’d been going to Marc Harris on Newbury for years but my stylist finally left after her second child so I was adrift. I tried Le Petit salon (shouty and uncomfortable) near my place and then finally found SarahJane at Pyara. She is super sweet and friendly without being pushy or cloying, listens attentively and does exactly what I asked for with great results! She also gives a great shoulder and neck massage which adds to the spa-​like ambience and aesthetic of the salon. Can’t speak to the other services here but I’ll be coming back regularly for hair services as long as she’s there! Only drawback is moderately aggressive product push at checkout by front desk staff, but they were very friendly and courteous when I declined.

Great salon located between Central and Harvard Square. I’m pretty young and suffering from thinning hair and often have difficulty finding a stylist who doesn’t judge me, is sympathetic, and understands what I’m looking for. Usually stylists will give me strange looks and kinda make the conversation more silent. I can’t remember my stylist’s name (she has awesome gray hair tho) but when I explained my situation, she understood and said she’d do her best to make me happy. She did take off a little more than I wanted but I think my ends were really bad. She added tons of volume and didn’t try selling me products when I told her I used different ones. The salon is an Aveda salon and they do have amazing products and she simply suggested if I ever wanted to try anything new, that it was worth giving a shot. In addition, she kept conversation going and didn’t make me feel awkward or ashamed to be walking into a studio simply because my hair is thinning. All in all, I recommended this place!

Update: *very attentive* management! Donny contacted me within 24 hours of my review, was friendly and understanding, and offered me a complimentary manicure (or other service) to try them again. I do understand that a business/​employee can have a bad day, so I’m looking forward to going back and being able to write an updated review.

Have had good experiences here before so booked a manicure the night before my holiday trip. But this was a disaster. Arrived early, ready to go. 15 minutes later, the front desk staff still could not locate the nail tech who was supposed to do my manicure. Everyone seemed helpless. There was no apology or pro-​active problem-​solving going on. There was no way I was sticking around to have a manicure by someone who was so unreliable, so I left, with no pre-​Christmas manicure. No one seemed to care at all that this happened – the front desk staff barely acknowledged this was happening. Two days later, I did get a follow up call from the general manager apologizing and offering to make things right, but really, who would come back after this? I’d rather take the extra time to drive to Miniluxe and know I was going to get a reliable service. On another note, I live a block away, and I regularly see the staff hanging out on the street behind the salon smoking, sometimes even sitting on the sidewalk on Putnam. Please make a place for your staff to take breaks that isn’t the street.

Hair-​cuts are always great, as was my massage. Facial and mani/​pedi on the other hand…
My esthetician was sick (seemed hungover) and cut my facial ten minutes short, but I still paid full price.
Mani/​pedi both chipped and peeled within the week. Not worth the high price.

I had the impulse of getting a haircut so made at appointment at Pyara just few hours before the time I went in and found them to be very accommodating. It was my first time in there because a friend who also covers her hair with a headscarf like me recommended Pyara. Their hairstyling stations are behind a big wall (with two stations per mirror) which gives one privacy and the people walking on the street can’t see you. Hence, as a Muslim woman, I felt very comfortable getting my hair cut not to mention that I had called in earlier to ask them to give me a spot in the back if possible.
I had read reviews about Nikki so was a little skeptical about Bianca but found her to be great and very very friendly (I love talking to people as they do my hair!). She is only 22(!) so realized that she had to be very good for Pyara to even hire her.
Before I got my haircut, we spoke at length how I wanted my hair to be done and bringing in pictures was helpful. Even during my haircut, I kept asking Bianca questions and she accommodated my requests of adjusting the length and layers accordingly. Only when I was satisfied, did she eventually stop. Unlike everybody else’s reviews, I wasn’t lured into buying any of the Aveda products and perhaps Pyara has learned their lesson through the negative reviews here.
Since I have a bob, I can’t afford to get my hair messed up as it’s so short that I can’t get it redone in case it is. Thus, don’t mind the $ 45 for a junior stylist although the price can definitely go down.
Blow-​dry is included and so is a complimentary bangs trim if you were to go during the next 10 weeks after your haircut. Unfortunately I won’t be in town to take advantage of that, but if I was, i would.
Overall great experience!

Love this place! Brad is the best! He has been doing my husband and my hair for the last 2 years! I can walk into Pyara as a total stress ball and leave so relaxed and refreshed!

Great experience here. Made an appt last minute. Love that they are open late. Just got a basic haircut, nothing too fancy. Sara was my stylist and she listened to my requests. People at the front desk were super friendly and attentive. The only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because it was a simple cut. I would feel comfortable going back in the future and being more experimental.

I started coming to Pyara, at it’s old location, two years ago, when I moved to Cambridge, as it was the only place I could find within walking distance of my apartment that offered New York-​style manicures, pedicures, and waxing services. I loved, loved the nail tech I saw, Maritza, but the others I saw when she wasn’t available were also good. And my waxings with Bree were great. That said, the customer service has always been not so great. Since their move it seems to have gotten worse.
Here are a few of the other incredibly annoying – and totally unnecessary – things that have happened:
1. I arrived on time for a manicure and was taken back to the nail area roughly on time. I was the ONLY customer there. But my esthetician, inexplicably, kept getting up from our table to do completely non-​essential things, like combine two bottles of hand lotion, or restock a cabinet. (There were three other nail technicians just hanging out, doing nothing.) Eventually, I looked at the clock and realized that the I’d been sitting there for forty minutes and the manicure was nowhere near done. In ten minutes, I needed to fly out of there to pick up my kids at school. I explained this to the nail tech and she argued with me, saying there was plenty of time for her to finish filing, etc., apply polish, and to have it dry. But there obviously wasn’t. I left with a half-​finished manicure and came back, later in the day, and the esthetician finished my manicure. But she did a terrible, terrible job. Polish smeared and gloppily applied. Within a few hours, the polish, had chipped, and within a few days, it had all peeled off.
2. The fantastic stylist, Nikki, who cuts our entire family’s curly hair moved from a Boston Aveda salon to Pyara. We all rejoiced, and I immediately made an appointment to get my daughter’s haircut. My daughter is SIX and has long hair, that Nikki simply trims once or twice a year. At the Boston Aveda salon, they’d charged us $ 35 for kids’ cuts. When I called to make this appointment, I mentioned this, and explained that my daughter was six, and was told they had a kids’ rate. We went in, Nikki cut her hair, which took fifteen minutes. I went up to pay and was charged $ 95. Utterly in shock, I presumed there must be some mistake. The (very nice) front desk lady agreed and went to talk to the manager, who said, no, no mistake, they don’t actually have a kids’ rate, as «we just don’t do kids’ hair.» After a very stressful half hour, he agreed to reduce the rate to $ 50, but the whole thing was unbelievable. Particularly because we are SUCH regular customers.
3. Finally, I seem to never be able to get an appointment with my usual waxing person, Bree, and so went in for a waxing with Sabrina, who was incredibly nice, but missed huge patches of hair. I mean HUGE. In her defense, I’ll say: She seemed incredibly stressed out about finishing on time. And I get the feeling that among spa workers at Pyara there’s much pressure to get people in and out as quickly as possible.
One final bit of weirdness: On one recent visit, I was at the front desk waiting to pay – there was no one there and I had been waiting for awhile for someone to come out and help me-​when a woman (a customer) walked out of the hair area, approached a Pyara worker striding across the lobby, and asked her a question, which I couldn’t hear. The Pyara staffer let out a huge sigh, rolled her eyes, and said VERY LOUDLY, nearly shouting, «I’m the make up artist here. I don’t work the front desk. I know we all look the same to you, but I’m a trained make up artist, not a front desk girl. There’s a big difference. You need to ask one of the girls at the front desk.» I was stunned! Stunned. There was no need, none at all, for such complete and utter rudeness (and just general asshole-​ness). All this person had to do was say, «Let me find someone to help you with that!»
But I feel like this anecdote sums up my experiences with Pyara lately, and the reason I’ve been hesitant to book an appointment. I don’t want to be randomly yelled at, or exorbitantly overcharged, or generally treated like my time isn’t important. It’s depressing to me, as a once-​enthusiastic client, who loved a salon at which I could have all my girly needs taken care of, that things have gotten so weird there. And I do hope the owners perhaps read this and absorb it, as I’d love for things to change, so I can return. The estheticians on staff, in general, are incredibly nice and well-​trained, and it’s a lovely space. There’s no reason for these odd glitches. I’ve been to a zillion spas and salons – all over the country and the world, and many in Boston, too – and I’ve never experienced such strange customer service before. Ever.

I’ve always been very satisfied with Aveda salons and spas, and Pyara is no different. I’ve most recently been to Curtis for hair, and I LOVE him. Recently I wanted to do a more extreme short style than my usual, and in the past other stylists seemed apprehensive of going as short as I wanted. Not Curtis — I told him what I wanted, and he immediately followed through. I LOVE my summer style and I’ve received rave reviews from my friends and colleagues. If you want a stylist who will dive in and produce what you want — go to Curtis.

Pyara, Pyara. i’ve been coming to this spa off and on since before they moved, and since some time in college… maybe for about 12 years? this review will focus on my most recent experiences at their current location.
let me start by saying that the staff here are great! the front desk folks are welcoming and pleasant and happy to get someone who knows more than they themselves do when something complicated is happening. and the massage therapist i’ve seen (Dave) is the bomb, he is skilled and personable and has strong hands.
but, there’s a but. Pyara is pricey, like most spas in the area. for this much money, i don’t feel like i get the luxurious experience i’ve had at similarly priced spots. for example, the women’s changing area… the actual locker room is teeeny, and i always hope i won’t be in there with more than one other lady — there’s no way three of us would fit. speaking of tiny, the robes Pyara provides in the changing room have no chance of fitting if you’re over a size 14 (as i am). 1) i wonder what’s supplied in the men’s changing room — these robes must be larger, right? and, if so, 2) why do i need to use a towel to supplement my robe. okay. a quick look around this space will show that there are two toilets (fine), a shower (fine), and a couple of sinks. but where’s all the stuff you need when you’re done with your appointment? tough luck if you want to brush your hair or use some lotion. further tough luck if you were hoping for hot tea (!), because they don’t offer a hot tea selection in the spa lounge area.
on the whole, i think Pyara falls way short compared to the competition, and that has nothing to do with the staff. this spa needs to invest in some pleasantries for its patrons. if you still want to go here and you need a massage, visit Dave. he will fix you right up.

I’d been holding onto a gift card for this place from Christmas, but never seemed to be able to get an appointment for a pedicure. Finally, one morning while I was on vacation I emailed and asked if there were any cancellations that day and almost immediately someone wrote back with four available slots. Hooray!
There was a tiny bit of confusion when I arrived and they thought I’d wanted a manicure and pedicure, and I almost took them up on the extended time slot, but my technician, Danielle, very kindly asked if I wouldn’t mind keeping my original idea of just a pedicure since she was running a bit behind. She apologized profusely for my wait, which was only about ten minutes. No big deal at all!
I’m usually pretty shy and don’t talk much while getting hair cuts or mani/​pedis, but Danielle is so personable and funny, we immediately fell into conversation. Total sweetheart. She also gives a great pedicure! Very efficient and thorough.
Pyara won’t become my regular place as it’s pretty spendy ($ 45 for a pedicure, $ 26 for a manicure), but when I really want to splurge it’ll be my goto. And I’ll definitely request Danielle!

Had a great first experience here! I really dislike getting my hair done because hair stylists generally don’t listen to me and hard sell products too much. Thankfully today went really well.
I had Bianca, a junior stylist who was really nice and very fast. I just needed a trim and she did and excellent job while listening to my needs. She was also really friendly and enjoyable, as were the receptionists and lady I called to book the appointment with.
I loved my haircut and really recommend this place. I only marked it down one star because it is pricy ($ 45 for a junior stylist up to $ 90 for a master one) and they do try to up sell products. Bianca did recommend a few but she was pretty gentle about it and didn’t push it after recommending it, which is fine. Overall I’m a pretty happy customer.
Definitely check it out!

An update and star-​rating change…
I spoke with Christine who manages the Aveda Salon about my hair fiasco (see original post, below) and she told me she wanted me to have a more positive experience. She set me up with Nikki, one of their master stylists. I showed Nikki a «before» photo and she set out to make my hair look as close to what it looked like before the toning disaster.
She put in highlight foils around the top and sides of my hair. Because I had told Christine I was concerned about over-​processing my hair — light to dark to light again bc of the toning fiasco — Christine relayed those my fears to Nikki and she told me that after I was toned, they would give my hair a conditioning masque.
Nikki set me up with her assistant, Erin, who toned me and then conditioned my hair. Nikki made sure to check on my hair twice during the toning process. When it was all over, I looked at myself in the mirror and was relieved that I no longer looked like the wicked witch of the west. My beautiful gold highlights were back!
I was not charged for the redo, but I tipped both Christine and Erin via credit card since I never think to carry cash with me. I like that this salon lets you do that. The receipt stated the itemized tip amounts and that made me feel assured that they would get their well-​deserved gratuities.
I will start seeing Nikki from now on and I hope that I will continue to get the kind of results I got from her. Thank you, Christine! :)
My original post with a one-​star rating:
I came in several weeks ago for highlights to break up a bad hair dye that I did myself at home which came out very dark. My stylist did a very nice job and I was happy with how my hair came out. It was the second time I had highlights put in since my bad DIY job. (The first time was at a different Aveda salon.)
On my second visit, which was for a single-​process to cover my grayish roots, my stylist said he also wanted to put a toner on my hair to tone down the colors. I told him I liked the gold tones and he assured me that it wouldn’t be dark. He said it would be light caramel.
He let me process he root color for 45 minutes and said he had a haircut in between and that he’d be done by the time I came to «finish me up.»
I should’ve asked why someone else was going to tone my color and I was surprised that he didn’t come check on it. The woman who toned my color told me it would come out beige. I had a sinking feeling as she put a hot wash cloth on my head twice. My hair is porous from coloring and I wanted to tell her the toner is on too long. But I figured she could see what she was doing and she referenced beige, which I assumed meant light caramel so I said nothing.
When I sat in the chair afterwards I asked why my hair was so dark. The stylist told me it would look lighter when it was dry. That never happened. My hair was now several shades darker and it looked awful. It was not a flattering brown for my Mediterranean skin tone.
The worse part was that the stylist pretended this was part of his original plan. He told me it looked great and referenced «J. Lo.» I can’t remember the last time Jennifer Lopez had dark hair. Bad analogy. More like J. No. He must’ve known it was not what I wanted because he told me that the toner would fade. I don’t want to wait for my toner to fade. That is crazy logic.
How is it that he can tell me this DARK hair looks great she just three weeks earlier, after I paid $ 250 to get highlights and a lighter root color, he was saying my light gold highlights look great. Why the pretense? Was it because he was tired and it was closing time? Was it because he should’ve supervised the apprentice working under him and failed to do so? Was it because he doesn’t care? Am I supposed to buy his spin on my hair looking great even though I had been very clear about wanting my hair to be a lighter color and that I liked the gold highlights?
I HATE the way my hair looks and I do not trust this stylist. He lied to my face. I will never go see The stylist again. I will never return to that salon. I have a heart so I’m not naming the stylist but he knows who he is and maybe he will see this review. I liked you but I don’t trust you. Please don’t be so cavalier to your clients. You should’ve recognized the problem and offered to fix it.

I love this Aveda salon and their new space is so beautiful. I came a few minutes late to my appointment because I didn’t realize they moved and no one made a big deal about it (I called to let them know, which is the nice thing to do.)
Then I found out they have stairs to get to the treatment rooms and since I can’t walk large sets of stairs they had to figure out how I could do it without the elevator up and running. They got a manager and he escorted me to another elevator in the main building and then had my esthetician do the same on the way back. They said that they prided themselves on having disability access and I was super happy I could still access the services because in a lot of places I’m just out of luck. That was fantastic.
My brow wax as usual was fantastic, but what really stood out was my haircut by Curtis. He had a fantastic personality and really worked with me to create a style that was super, super low maintainance. A lot of stylists consider a style low maintenance when you have to work on it for 20 – 30 minutes, but I’m a 5 – 10 minute kinda girl. Also he showed me a way to simplify products. I have no problem with the stylists recommending products to buy, other than the girl who once put three products in a shopping basket and left them for me at the checkout desk when I didn’t say I was going to buy them (awkward) they’re pretty low key about it here. Also, my stylist told me about a service they offer for free that I was NEVER told about (I’ve had over 6 cuts here) where they give you a free bang trim or touch up for 15 minutes in a month and make sure the style/​cut is working out for you.
Two other things they don’t always mention– they have several free services you can get with any paid service like a 10 minute massage, a makeup touch up, or an aromatherapy consult (or something like that). They also give you $ 5 off your next brow appointment it when you’re checking out (or $ 10 off a «master» brow waxer)
Overall, I love this place. I think it’s a fantastic value for what you get, everything smells amazing, and I’ve always had great service.

I followed my stylist, Nikki Ruby, to Pyara from the Aveda Escape salon at the Pru.
Nikki is just AMAZING. I love her and I’m so glad that after years of searching, I finally found a great stylist in Boston. She always listens to what I want and gives my hair a great shape with every cut. She is also really nice and easy to talk to. I always dreaded the forced small talk aspect of getting my haircut, but now that I found Nikki, it’s nice to look forward to catching up with a friend :) I strongly recommend her!
As for the salon itself: it’s spacious, bright, and clean. My biggest complaint is that they don’t do the student discount like Aveda Escape (15% off). Located right between MIT and Harvard, it seems like a student discount could help get locals into the door who might otherwise pass up an expensive salon. My other (weird) complaint is that I felt like the lighting around the mirrors was WAY too bright (and harsh).
It’s pricey, but I think the quality of the cuts I get from Nikki is worth the splurge. Overall, I’m happy with the salon and thrilled with my stylist, so I’ll be returning in a few months.

Been to Pyara twice now for haircuts.
Solid haircuts. Nice ambience. Love aveda oil smells.
The only reason why it’s just ok — the stylists try to sell you stuff. At every moment of my haircut both times (different stylists), they’ve tried to sell me hair treatments, shampoos, etc. If you don’t mind just saying «no» every time or just telling them to stop selling you stuff, then it’s a great place to go.

As I sit here waiting for my full body massage, listening to soothing tunes is not only relaxing, but a reminder of how comfy this place is.
I had my first service here just this past December… for a 90 minute facial as a gift. Susie was the esthetician who provided me with the service. Not only was she very pleasant, but she made the experience one to remember. She asked if I had any areas I would like her to focus on and was very attentive to my needs and concerns. She made the entire process so comfortable, cozy, and pain free… and still managed to make my skin feel rejuvenated.
She started off with a warm foot bath that is AH-​mazing. The massaging of the arms, hands, legs, feet and shoulders were definately an added bonus!
Recommedations made by her were superb… I have done everything she told me to and my face feels so much different already… smoother, cleaner, softer and just overall more healthy.
My session was so relaxing, I fell asleep for a good 60 minutes out of the 90 minutes! I automatically booked another appointment with Susie, and have seen her one other time and have a consistant every 8 weeks appt. with her.
If you’re looking for someone professional, nice, and knows her stuff, make your appt. with Susie, you will not be disappointed!
Thanks again Susie and Pyara for an AH-​mazing experience!

I’ve been coming to this business since 2011 regularly for nail services and off an on for hair services.
Last night, I received a haircut that ended up pretty disastrous. It was by a stylist I actually really like and even though I’d brought a picture something obviously went horribly wrong.
I let the owner know via email what happened and how emotional this experience was for me 1) because I know this stylist and I was clear on my expectations and 2) because I’ve been coming here for so long.
Received a call from the general manager of this store who has the customer service skills of a cold fish. It got to the point where I told him I couldn’t talk to him about this anymore, that I needed to process and would have to hang up.
Less than 3 minutes later I received this email from the GM:
Thank you for the opportunity to connect with you this afternoon. If you have changed your mind and do not wish to decline the meeting with one of my master stylists, please let me know. As you have suggested and based upon what we discussed before we were disconnected I do not believe that Pyara is the best fit for you moving forward. I have canceled all of your future appointments and any communication with Pyara moving forward must be directly with me.
Donny Heenan
General Manager. Pyara Spa and Salon
1050 Mass Ave. Cambridge, MA 2 138
(781) 362‑4615
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I didn’t realize that a business could preemptively cancel all of your appointments (my nail ones too which is a mystery to me) without you asking, but it’s really sad to see how they treat long-​time, loyal (every 3 weeks loyal and for a time with hair weekly) customers. I feel most bad because I’ve been going to my nail tech there, for years and when I told her I was coming in to get my haircut she asked me if I trusted the stylist to cut my hair (mainly because I’ve always had longer hair) and I said «I totally trust him.» I have probably spent thousands of dollars and developed relationships over the years. His email almost sounds like an ultimatum and even a threat. It wasn’t even worth it to respond to him. He has a history of handling situations poorly.
Obviously I’ve made a mistake in more ways than one

Most importantly: the masseur and manicurist I had at Pyara were fabulous. I had a body treatment with David that was so relaxing I almost levitated. And a lovely mani/​pedi thx to Kim.
The new space is spacious, although a bit spartan. But like any new home, I’m sure that in time plants will be added and art will find its way onto the walls.
There are a few kinks to be worked out. The nail drying station uses cool blowers, which are high tech, but have a chilling effect — especially when it’s already cold outside. The hot UV drying stations used previously were much more comforting.
One area that has a lot of room for improvement was the check-​in experience, which should have been welcoming but was instead disappointing.
The staff member didn’t introduce herself, hurried me through the check in process, didn’t ask if I’d been to the salon before or offer to show me the new space. Instead, she marched me downstairs, waved at the changing room and suggested I wait in the waiting area. I demurred, saying I should probably get changed so I’d be prepared when my masseur came to get me. Her response: «whatever — people do it both ways» and then she disappeared.
I went to the changing area, where there were no instructions on how to use the lockers nor was there a stack of clean robes and slippers. Upstairs I went again. I asked the same staff member to help out, which she did, finding a robe and slippers (but no tie to close said robe). With no time to waste, I headed to the waiting area, where I had to wrestle with the tea dispenser to get any tea then sat in a chair which was comfy but miles away from any table to rest my mug on.
Nevertheless, as a patron of Pyara for years, I haven’t given up. Here’s hoping the less than welcoming staff member was just having a bad day and that the new location proves to be an oasis of calm and beauty in the hustle of Harvard Square.