Essence Salon

Horrible service, doesn’t listen to the customer’s wishes. They cut my hair too short and I look like a man from the back now. I asked for a bob and they gave me what looks like a little boy’s hair cut in the back.

I have been looking for a stylist forever. I decided to utilize Unilocal for my search. I came across Essence Salon and read all the reviews, which they were all correct! I chose Brandon cause someone had said that she could tell him to do whatever and she loved it! That is exactly what I wanted, I wanted someone I could say that too and walk away feeling beautiful. Well Brandon definitely did that for me! I love his creativeness and his passion for hair! HE DID AN AMAZING JOB IN MY HAIR! That was not an easy tasks since I have dyed it to the point that it was fried! He was able to even bring back some of my natural curls! All the people there were so friendly and the vibe in the salon was such a fun one! I have officially found my stylist and a wonderful new salon! Thank you Brandon for the amazing cut! I feel and look fabulous!

Overpriced, horrible customer service. Very unprofessional people. Guess you can’t expect much more from a snobby salon. One complaint and we are ignored by their staff. I do not recommend anyone go here because if you do not like your haircut you will be ignored. As a customer of over three years, it makes me sad writing this review.
Edit: If anyone is wondering why all the reviews here are good it’s because once you write a bad one you will get called to remove it in exchange for a free haircut.

I’ve gotten my hair cut by Brandon twice now and I’m planning on making my third visit to get my hair colored by him!
The most recent visit I had, I decided on a cut that was much shorter than I was comfortable with. Brandon reassured me that it would look great and I trusted him whole heartedly because my first haircut with him was my favorite!
I have been getting compliments left and right about my new lob and I am so pleased! I never thought that I would be able to pull off a hairstyle like this, but Brandon made it work :) Brandon actually suggested a lob the first time that I visited, and it was great advice! I’m glad that I took him up on it.
Parking in this area can be a nightmare, but I’ve been lucky and was always able to find street parking right in front, or in the parking lot next to the salon.

After 2 failed attempts at finding someone to cut my overgrown, lank, sad head of hair into something more funky & fun (even though I showed them some pretty fun previous cuts), I finally found ESSENCE SALON & Creative Director, Jennifer!!! After nearly a year here of dull hair, Jennifer is open to doing whatever you want to try & letting you know what she thinks will work. I now love my hair!
Everyone is very friendly & attentive. It was great to find a place with fresh energy; Essence Salon is that place. I’m already planning on returning.

I have been going to Jennifer since my first transformation cut. This time around I suggested we dry cut my hair which I am a huge fan of. I recently have been wearing my hair down more as an alternative to my usual super crazy spikes and I am loving it. After Jennifer had dry cut my hair this time around, my hair has been amazing! My hair grows super fast so we decided to cut the back of my hair shorter than we normally do and the rest overall still pretty long. I now have two options to style my hair as it can be styled down or up! In love with my cut every time I go back to her every two months! Jennifer never fails with my request on my hair and it ALWAYS grows out perfectly! Thanks so much!

I moved to the Bay Area in May and have been looking for a hair stylist for my long curly hair. I saw Tiffany at Essence Salon today and got such an amazing haircut! My formerly frizzy hair is now soft and has such a great shape and look to it. Also I felt so heard as we discussed how much to take off to make my hair healthier. Thanks Tiffany for such a great hair cut!

I just go here to buy styling products for my hair since I don’t cut it. But the business is immaculate and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Great hours and close to my home are what keep me coming back!
Thanks Essence!

I traveled from Hayward to see if this place was worth it and I have to say it was completely worth it!!!
Jennifer cut my hair so beautifully that I just can’t stop running my fingers through it now
I recommend that you give them a try too and I know you will fall in love, no joke
I have truly found my permanent hairstylist for life!!!

Jennifer was incredible. I read several dozen reviews on Unilocal (for several different salons), and picked Jennifer based on past reviews.
She was awesome. Meticulous, observant, and painstaking attentive to detail, she gave me an amazing haircut. Highly recommend.

I hardly ever write reviews but want to leave one for Essence Salon because they really take great pride in taking care of their customers. About a week ago, I got a haircut at Essence. It was nice but I didn’t love it. They followed up with me and insisted that I come back in to have Jennifer (their Creative Director) take a look and make it perfect for me, free of charge. I went in earlier today and Jennifer worked magic on my hair. You can tell that she absolutely loves what she does and takes great pride in her work. She made sure that every single strand of my hair was in its perfect place. And she took so much time to make my hair look absolutely fabulous. Needless to say, I will be going back to Jennifer. Thank you Essence for making service a top priority!

Everytime I am here, no matter who cuts my hair it is always fantastic! The stylists are always super friendly and easy to talk to, and if you don’t know what you want, ask them to just make you look good and… POOF… by the end of the session you look great!
My only gripe is that they are expensive so I can only afford to go every other month or sometimes longer…
Other than that, the newly remodeled spot is very chic and comfortable! Every single staff member has only been extremely nice, accommodating, and friendly!

This review is over a year overdue —
I had some patchy work done as a result from access sun hitting an ombré I had done prior to vacation. My tame caramel ombré had turned to a coppery orange.
Hairstylists at Essence Salon knew exactly what they were doing and how to work with the color in my hair with the least amount of added damage.
Colorist added a layer of grey toner to my ombré and the job was as good as new!
Thank you so much! I definitely know where to go in the future!

Ok. So I’m sitting here with really nice hair all thanks to Jennifer. Write down the name: Jennifer.
What I wanted done: haircut and full color (was tired of the brassiness left behind from my Ombré I so deeply regret).
I recently moved to Mountain View and really needed to start investing in my hair. I can draw experiences from $ 8 hair cut salons to home businesses and friend hair experiments. Always, always skimping on my hair. Ladies, don’t ever go cheap with your hair. Find the right stylist who listens to you and delivers. This is incredibly important.
Calling in: Setting this up was very easy. Sandy is a wonderful receptionist who is willing to work with your schedule and does her best to fit you in. Even she tries to identify exactly what you want before reaching out to the stylists. Was able to set up a consultation with Jennifer for the next day.
Consultation: Met Jennifer to discuss the steps and price ranges. She offered to test out a few dark colors on my hair so I could basically see what it would look like. NOTE: she is not afraid to tell you what works and what doesn’t. If she believes she can’t fully deliver, oh she will definitely tell you. No lies, honesty is all there is. Did I mention wonderful customer service? I practically walked out of the salon with aluminum in my hair and a big smile on my face.
Confirmed my appointment? Hell yes. Let’s do this.
Appointment: On time. Jennifer gave me the attention any client deserves. She was willing to work with me to achieve my dream hair (took her time and told me exactly what she was doing beforehand). What I look for in a stylist, she fit the description EXACTLY. She was gentle (can’t tell you how much I appreciate not having my head pushed around), knowledgeable, and experienced. I was very happy with the results. if you’re wondering.
Key takeaway? Jennifer really cares about her clients. My past experiences with other stylists gave me the impression that I was just a number and they couldn’t care less if I wasn’t happy with the results. I would definitely recommend you give Jennifer a chance, if not, there are many other qualified stylists at Essence Salon.
So if people ask me what’s my secret to my awesome hair. I’m going to say, «Essence Salon.» Guess it’s not so much a secret anymore, huh? Spread the word, this place is amazing.

Back again for the master Brandon to work his magic on my hair! I love his vision for how to frame my face, bring out my eyes, and use color to make me beautiful and feel young! I always trust what Brandon wants to do and he always exceeds all expectations.
I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. The whole salon staff is fabulous and fun. I can’t wait to show off my new cut, highlights and fun color to friends and family for the holidays! I always feel like the best version of me when I leave here.
Thank you Brandon for everything! Your teaching color is going to allow so many other stylists to be able to give this amazing experience to so many more people!

Just got a haircut with Brandon and he did an amazing job!
He asked me first what I would like to do with my hair and then he told me what he thinks. It was important for him that I’ll be happy with my haircut so he asked me if I’m ok with what he was doing several times durig the session.
I really apreciate that he gave me his opinion and the result is haircut that complements my face.
I will definitely come back.

I am very picky about who’s cutting my hair as I would literally cry and go crazy if I don’t get a haircut I expect. I went to Jennifer because of a friend’s recommendation. I am so so sooooo happy with the results. Jennifer is my go-​to hairstylist from now on.
I am so concerned about my hair that I would drive from Berkeley to San Mateo all the way just for a good haircut when I was still in school. I am so glad I found Jennifer who is close to where I live and work now. Jennifer is really the best hairstylist I have ever had. She is even more concerned than me about my hair!
Not only she is friendly, but also she is really really an expert in hairstyling. After I got my new haircut, I have been complemented EVERYWHERE I GO. People would come up to me telling me my haircut looks amazing and would ask me where I did my hair. Don’t hesitate. Jennifer will never disappoint you:)

Have been trying to find a good salon since I moved to the Bay Area to no avail. I finally stumbled upon Essence Salon and got an appointment with Natalie. Not only she gave me an amazing scalp massage while washing my hair, but also made me feel super comfortable by asking me exactly how I wanted my hair cut, since I’m not a fan or the typical American short hair style with clippers on the side. She took the time to understand what I wanted and checked every so often to see if what she was doing was to my satisfaction. I’ll see you next month!

This review is for Laura :
I have been looking for a good salon in the Bay Area. And I finally found one! I really like my new look. Thanks Laura.

I have found my stylist; Mike is the Michelangelo of hair. He is personable, kind, funny, and KNOWS hair. He worked his magic and somehow managed to make my hair look longer than it did when I came in. I’m trying to grow it out, so I was insanely pleased with that magically illusion!
Mike is meticulously in his cuts and takes longer than the average haircut, but it is SO worth it. He’s also not a cheap date, but again, worth the investment. My hair is growing in beautifully. Will be back for highlights and a trim soon.