Strands Salon

I have been going to Abby for almost two months she does an amazing job I wouldn’t let anyone else do my lashes and she is also running on schedule I never have to wait. When I first made my apt and found out they only have on street parking I was kinda iffy because I drive a big truck and hate dealing with finding parking, I have never had a problem I always find a spot

Abby does my eyelash extensions. I started with regular lashes and now I get volume lashes. I have very short thin lashes to begin with so these extensions are a Godsend! I get so many compliments and people always ask what mascara I use (none now). The first set is 150 $ and then a fill for regular lashes is 40 $ and volume lashes is 65 $ — so worth it!

Linda at strands is my savior! Her eyebrows and facials are a staple to my routine! She always delivers a perfect result and is the sweetest! She will never rush you and never runs late! I come in from Boston just to see her!
Her prices are more then reasonable which is why she is always booked! Make sure to book at least a week in advanced!
Michael, is wonderful! He has cut and glazed my hair! He always gives me a very updated cut (rare for Rhode Island) he is very sweet and is reasonably priced as well!
i highly recommend trying him out if you are looking for a new colorist or stylist!

I went to this salon 2 months ago to try to save my hair from a nightmare experience at another salon. I saw Stacey-​Lynn and she was great.
Now yesterday I was ready for a change so I decided to make an appointment and go back to see Stacey. I brought her nothing, no images, no idea of what I wanted, I simply told her I was comfortable with anything she wanted to do I just wanted to look different and of course look good. She asked a few questions (ie — where do I normally part my hair? What is the natural texture of my hair? Etc) then moved my hair around my face a bit while just looking at me.
She never told me what she was planning to do which was a bit unnerving but hey I said she could do anything so I went with it. In the end she have me a 1920’s inspired look and I LOVE my hair! I usually don’t do much to my hair in the mornings but now with this haircut I’ve been trying all these new styles. I feel great and highly recommend her!!!

Looking for a great mani/​pedi? See Debbie at Strands. She has been doing my nails for over 15 years and has consistently provided superb service. Debbie also stays current with latest trends in manicures/​pedicures and and is a great resource for nail care. She is also very accommodating, going out of her way for when those «nail emergencies» or special occasions arise!

Had my hair cut, color and highlight done at Strands Salon by Steven. I don’t think it can possible be any better. Wonderful atmosphere, friendly stuff, absolutely affordable price. My hair looks great and I cant wait to go back again. Only one recommendation… they are so busy, so make sure to schedule your appointment in advance.

I have the tendency to bounce from salon to salon, partially because it is very hard to get a decent short haircut when you have very thick hair, and partially because I tend not to plan my haircuts well and get it cut when the whim strikes me. Today was one of those days. After a rough morning I called last minute on the off chance that there would be a Saturday afternoon opening (nearly impossible shot). I lucked out because I live nearby and they said that if I could be in in 15 minutes I was all set.
I had a great experience. Stacey was fantastic. She did not know me at all but listened to what I was interested in and gave me very knowledgeable and thoughtful feedback on what I might need.
I left feeling like a million bucks! Would definitely refer her to someone looking for a shorter cut!

I ONLY go here for my eyebrows– let me just state that.
LINDA IS MY HERO. She’s pricey ($ 23 for brows and lip) but there is no one else that is better in Rhode Island. True statement.
Be sure to leave about 40 minutes of your time for it, and do get an appointment up to 10 days in advance! Wish she weren’t quite so pricey.

Chantal is so great. I have very long and curly hair, very difficult to work with it; but she does the best cut, and hair style. The place is very friendly. Love it!

This review is for brow and lip waxing with Lisa. I agree that Lisa is super friendly and personable, but I wish that she spent less time chatting and more time focusing on her work. She burned/​ripped off the corner of my lip and now I sort of look like the joker. I am pleased with the shape of my brows, but had to kindly ask her to stop digging in to pluck the hairs that were too short to pluck. She also never showed me a mirror after she was finished. I suppose I would come here again because she is lovely and my brows look great, but I’m a bit wary now due to the lip situation.

I started going to strands when I was pretty young, and at first I didn’t mind it. I felt really cool because it’s a well-​to-​do salon and my hair always came out decent. But never more than decent.
For the price, though, this place is not worth a damn penny and you’d be much better off trying out Ky Michaels or Coiffurium – both salons that really value their clientele. The receptionists at strands must have serious sticks up their asses, because it’s near impossible to get a friendly hello or smile out of any of them. Every time I was in there everyone would be gossiping about everyone else. I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to pay 65 dollars for a haircut to hear about your problems, I got plenty of my own.
One of the things that started to ignite in me a desire to change salons was my stylists reaction every time I went in. I am adamant about getting my hair cut every 2 – 3 months, and every time I went in she would exclaim «god, this cut is horrible! Who did you let touch your hair?»…umm, you? The final straw was when I went in to get my hair ombred, and spent 1.5 hours getting colored just to discover that the color didn’t stick AT ALL. all fine, until my stylist freaked out and slapped some bleach on my ends in the attempt to fake an ombré. She still had the nerve to charge me $ 75 for her absolutely frying my ends, and ruining the great length I had been working to achieve.
I have been to both Ky Michaels and Coiffurium since then and can say that both salons are much cheaper, but also have far nicer atmospheres, receptionists, and stylists. Save yourself the pain of this gossip-​ridden, overpriced, blasé salon and try out one of the other gems in the area.

I really wanted to love Strands, but I can’t. I’ve had two haircuts with Steven and the experiences were identical and lukewarm. I showed up on time, maybe even a little early, and checked in with the inattentive receptionist (no drinks or accommodations, just a chair to wait in). I waited around 15 minutes for my stylist, received a B-​grade haircut with little communication and occasional distraction by other stylists, and paid $ 70 for an experience I could have had at Supercuts.
The salon wins points for being clean, trendy, and not making me want to cry over my cut, but I won’t be returning for a third one.

I have been a waxing aficionado for many years. In fact, when it was time to start «shaving» my legs as an eleven year old, my mother insisted that waxing was the way to go. It’s been a practice ever since, though now I go for the more «sensitive» areas.
I digress. Throughout the years I have experienced many waxing professionals in many cities. After recently moving back to PVD from Boston, I thought I would stray (shh, don’t tell) from my usual PVD waxer and try a different venue. My first stop was to consult Unilocal.Based on the rave reviews for both Linda and Lisa, I thought, «hey, can’t go wrong.»
First up was Lisa. She took my to her dungeon-​like set-​up and I was surprised by how dark the room appeared, wondering if she could properly see in order to perform the delicate job of a brazilian wax. The process itself was not much to praise or complain about. She was relatively efficient, though conversation bordered on uncomfortable with her personal woes. My suspicions about the lighting were confirmed, however, and when I got home I realized that she was not nearly as thorough as a brazilian wax would suggest! I should not have to grab the tweezers the day of a brazilian.
The second time I went to Strands I figured I would give Linda a shot. Though she is a very pleasant, warm and humorous woman with a wonderfully decorated space, the waxing experience was PAINFUL. As I said before, I have been getting brazilians for YEARS. I am well versed in the process and have a high tolerance for this sort of pain. Linda’s method was anything but gentle. When she ripped, she YANKED and TORE. I left feeling beaten and bruised. Not to mention, she charged me $ 75 when Lisa had charged me $ 55 for the same service!
I learned my lesson. Sherry at Best Little Hair House, I will never stray again.

My friend dragged me here after she saw glowing Unilocal reviews for Lisa. Lisa does waxing. Waxing?!? The thought of going made me cringe, but I went anyway.
Lisa is fantastic. She is hilarious, warm, friendly and you hardly notice she is ripping hair out of areas you’d rather not discuss. She does a great job and I think her prices are very reasonable.
I have not shopped around, but I don’t feel the need to. I also drive an hour down to RI to see her.
Salon is always hopping, but Lisa never keeps me waiting. There is street parking and a couple of really cheap lots on the street behind the salon.
Side note… most people look at me like I’m crazy when I mention underarm waxing. The same people who are perfectly fine with getting hair ripped out of their you know whats are cringing. It’s an armpit people. $ 12 and I don’t have to shave my underarms for 2 – 3 weeks. Count me in!

Linda, Linda, Linda… If I could only bring you to Boston with me…
I moved to Somerville from Providence a few years ago and could never find an aesthetician in the Boston area with whom I felt comfortable. Whenever I find myself making a visit to Providence, I never hesitate to try to schedule an appointment with Linda and (somehow) she finds time for me. I’ve gone to her for Brazilians and bikini waxes. My skin is smooth for a long time and the wax she uses is gentle on my sensitive skin. I highly recommend her services. She’s sweet, efficient and attentive to client’s needs.

Given the glowing reviews posted here, I was pretty surprised that my experience at Strands was so sub-​par. Basically, I was charged $ 50 for a haircut in Providence at a salon that looks like it should be charging $ 50 but delivered more of a Supercuts experience.
First, the ambiance: Strands looks great from the outside and is stylish on the inside, but my first impression once indoors was made by the receptionist, who was both taking a personal phone call and eating lunch when I came up to the front desk. She put her friend on hold but kept chewing, albeit while smiling, as she asked me, mouth full of sandwich, how she could help me. Needless to say, the image of carefully masticated lettuce and tomato did not start me off with that pampered feel I was expecting.
Second, my actual haircut experience was as far from professional as I could have imagined. My stylist took me to the back for a shampoo, where she and her colleagues, two of whom were shampooing on either side of her and the other who was cutting a woman’s hair in front of us, proceeded to engage in a long, rather loud conversation about their (wait for it) bunions. This discussion included a show-​and-​tell session wherein the stylists took their shoes out of their feet to do play-​by-​play analyses of their personal problems with foot fugliness. *Shudder!* I wished my stylist would splash more water into my ears to drown out the sound of this exchange.
Back in the cutting chair, my stylist continued to be incredibly distracted and seemed interested in paying attention to pretty much anything other than my hair. One colleage walked by and asked her to sign a birthday card for another colleague, and they got into a lengthy chat about his house plants as she stood, card and pen in hand, NOT cutting my hair. At another point she shouted to a colleague (the same one?) about his date the previous night. They got into an embroiled discussion about his dating life, again, while she did NOT cut my hair. It’s nice to see that everyone seems to get along so swimmingly at Strands, but it would be fantastic if they could apply that enthusiasm and attention to their customers!
The reasons I am giving this place 2 rather than one star are for the look of the salon (hip and clean) and the fact that they were the only place in the area where I could buy Bumble & Bumble products. But now that I don’t live in Providence anymore, I have many other options and will be using them! I’m so glad I discovered the W Salon before I left– much cheaper, genuinely comfortable environment, and professional, courteous staff!
I ended up leaving a very small tip and walking out with a haircut that looked more or less identical to what I came in with. Faretheewell, Strands!

Like many astute folks have already pointed out, Lisa a great aesthetician. Although I am a die-​hard fan of hard wax (try it out with Erika at Melt in Boston on Newbury) as opposed to strips, Nufree is a good product. And the prices are the lowest I’ve seen.

Similar to William S, I’ve been following my stylist, Reo, from salon to salon. And, I am happy to follow him to Strands after 7 years and 3 salons. There is a vibrant atmosphere, quality stylists, great location, and a variety of services available. They always offer a reminder call a day or two before your scheduled appointment– which is a huge plus.
I personally like to relax while getting a cut– so sometimes the ‘vibrant’ atmosphere is a bit too vibrant for me, but it depends on when you go too. That is the only thing holding back from the ‘5^th’ star — my personal preference though!

After doing careful, extensive research on waxing services in the Providence area I’m so glad I ended up taking Nicole’s word of advice! I just as she did, went to see Lisa at Strands salon on Angell Street. Upon calling the salon it was pleasant to hear a friendly, calming voice on the line. Once I walked into the place my initial reaction was, «Wow it’s busy here.» (which is always a plus to see a bustling business because well, chances are they must do something right to attract customers.)
I had an appointment scheduled for 12:30 noon, I arrived about 10 or so minutes early but was seen almost immediately. To my surprise the friendly, calming voice on the phone was actually Lisa herself. She took me to a private room and everything was smooth sailing from there. It was definitely reassuring when she was chatting with me throughout the entire time– not once did the hair removal process bother me, though I guess that just has a lot to do with each person’s tolerance to pain and also how often they get it done. The actual Nu-​free wax itself was kept precisely at the right temperature, as Lisa was also explaining to me how the waxing heater they use regulates it just accordingly. Another plus for delicate skin!
To conclude on my review, it’s nearly impossible to find a reasonably priced Brazilian wax in the area. Most spas and salons I have noticed charge $ 20+ dollars more than what you get at Strands– overall I’m glad I made out today with many positive aspects from my experience and look forward to returning back. Hope that helps all you Unilocalers out there in search of a great– not good wax!

If you want people constantly asking you where you get your hair done. Or strangers interrupting you to compliment your hair. I’d suggest booking an appointment with Gail at Strands.
Since going to Gail for haircuts, I have been told (on more than one occasion) that I resemble Leonardo DiCaprio. My wife (Gail also cuts & colors her hair — reference:
) is regularly complimented on her beauty and asked about her hairstylist by complete strangers.
BONUS: not only will Gail make sure you look damn good, she will also tell you fantastic stories about her life. Ask her about the guy who took her to the beach but refused to remove his socks.
You’ll likely have to book several weeks in advance, and call ahead to make sure she’s running on time on the day of your appointment. But, if you’re willing to put up with being inundated by compliments and questions about your hair, you won’t regret it.

Weeks later I can still say I’m thrilled about my wax with Lisa. She uses Nufree (which isn’t even a wax, it’s soy… look it up!) which makes the hair grow back MUCH finer and it gives you MUCH more time in between waxes using this type of wax.
I’m hooked for life!