Salon Serendipity

I love you I love you I love you! Let me begin by saying that I will be back. I went to my normal nail place to get color for the first time in nearly 5 years (I am active duty navy on «vacation») and they butchered my nails… I normally love the place but my nails were horrible I didn’t think that blue tips was a big deal… Wrong… At 5 pm I had very little time to have them fixed, because I was not going to have the place that ruined them attempt to fix them. I ran to three other studios who would not entertain my need for help… And one gel nail was already chipped! I have pictures first thing the next morning I was going to cry!!! This amazing woman found time at 6 am in the morning to fix my mess of nails and did it so beautifully that I am beyond excited! I will be back and I will bring more people with me! Nancy, you are truly and artist! Oh and Real Simple is on its way to your studio!

I went to Sylvia for a shellac mani and pedi. She was amazing! She is such a sweet person and did a fantastic job! She took her time and really pampered me. My nails haven’t chipped yet (which is a miracle) and it’s been 2 weeks! I’ll be back for sure and I’ll bring friends!

I’ve been seeing Laura Ashdown for over a year now, and I’ve very happy with my hair (partial highlight, cut and style). My color is always lovely and very natural looking, and I enjoy the visit to this friendly salon. Laura always brings me coffee or tea while I’m in the chair, too, which is nice.

Service? Fabulous
Haircuts? Always completely satisfied
Management? Seems fine to me
Would I come back? Wouldn’t go anywhere else, unless Laura changed salons — I would totally follow Laura to a new salon
Standout memory? Laura Ashdown is completely amazing. Always.
Laura Ashdown is amazing. I suck at getting my hair done — I’m one of those annoying people who walk in and the stylist says «what do you want» and I shrug and say, «Dunno. Um. Make me pretty? I’m feeling kinda sassy today, does that help?»
I made my first appointment with her because she had good reviews and I was looking for a new stylist. It was a miserable day and I had just gotten dumped the day of my appointment. I was cranky and I told her what happened and I wanted a huge change to my hair and she could do anything she wanted. By the time I left, I felt beautiful and in a fantastic mood and I haven’t gone anywhere else since then. She’ll be doing my hair for my wedding this weekend — not with the dude who dumped me — what a douche.
She’s talented, creative, and a genuinely delightful human being.
I don’t know much about their other services, but I can say that everyone else in there seems wonderful and nice and everyone I’ve seen getting nails or hair done with someone else seems like a regular and just delighted with whatever service they’re getting.

Check out Laura Ashdown for the best hair cut and color in town. She always gets my color just right and I will die before I change hairdressers.

Laura Ashdown is amazing! She always does such a great job with my hair. I will never go anywhere else for my hair! Thanks Laura!

Sylvia did my manicure and pedicure. We were a bit rushed for time, but she did a great job and she was personable and professional. I was able to call and schedule a same-​day appointment. Great job!

DONT TRUST ANYONE OR ANYWHERE WITH ALOT OF 5 STAR REVIEWS! In my opinion if you’re African American. not bi racial in anyway. DO NOT go to Jason to get your hair done. I went to him for the second time to get a relaxer. I trusted him after he did a good job the first time at another salon. the second time by his own admission he was happy to use new products, well the combination of his new products broke off my hair badly. I purchased 2 products that he used so that my hair could look good until I saw him again. my hair came out so bad I’m missing huge pieces and it’s choppy. when I tried to get a refund for the 2 products, he in the end brushed me off. I wouldn’t refer my worst enemy to Jason. good luck to you if you do go to him because you will need it, don’t fully trust the numerous reviews like I did, you will regret you ever went.

Jason is the best! I first went to him a couple years ago to fix an hombré gone wrong and I have been going back to him ever since. I’m not the most hair savvy but I know what I like and it’s such a relief to find a stylist who knows what looks best on me and how to make it happen. Love him!!!

Received a pedicure for the first time in over a year. This place was clean and friendly. I would definitely go back.

After moving away from San Diego and searching for the same quality and high level of customer service the staff and Nancy provides me I have given up! Salon Serendipity is extremely clean and friendly. You feel like your the only customer vs the norm at most shops! I look forward to visiting and moving back to SD to see this shop and Nancy again!
I strongly recommend Salon Serendipity for your beautify needs! You won’t regret it and if you do I think something is wrong with you!

Had a gift certificate for a pedicure at Serendipity. It was the BEST I have ever had. U have to go see Sylvia and get the most fabulous pedicure. Treat yourself…

Love this place! Nancy was like talking with a friend I’ve know forever. I love the individual attention as this is not a packed shop with everyone staring at you. she is very knowledgeable not to mention talented! I will return. Thank you Nancy!

Yet another nail salon not answering their phone during business hours.
This is becoming infuriating.
Every salon I call — no answer or we don’t do acrylics.
What is the reason for having a phone if you won’t answer?
Lin always answers the phone at LV nails even when she is doing mine.
There is NO EXCUSE.
[ ADDED AFTER OWNER COMMENT ]
So I am supposed to call, leave a message during my free time then wait for a return call if you don’t answer? FYI my doctors office never answered their phone and did the call back system which for me and the job I have doesn’t work. He is no longer my doctor. I can’t put things down to answer my phone when at work similar to the owner’s explanation of not WANTING to answer the phone when working. The issue is that you are a business. I am a customer. If you want your customer to be able to schedule it should be at THEIR convenience not yours. This is how call girls would handle business, not nail salons. As stated in other reviews my other regular nail woman Lin can answer the phone while doing my nails and be off in less than 60 seconds. Her phone rings almost all day and at least once usually when I am being serviced. She keeps it professional «Hello, what you want, ok what time, no good can you do 330 instead? Ok 330 pedicure, what your name? Ok see you at 330.» See how easy that is? Or people call for price and it is just as brief. Notice in the owner comment I am told to call her personally but that she might not answer and would have to call me back? Once again that doesn’t work for most of us. Some of us call on breaks or at a traffic light. We aren’t by our phones to wait for a reply from a business that wants (hopefully) our business. I laughed at how she promoted her services as «real quality work» that if you want that you gotta wait for it… Well that is not the case. I got in within 30minutes of calling The Hillcrest Beauty Lounge
and the experience was the best I had ever had at a nail salon (sorry Lin, better than you even). Offered juice or water and everyone spoke good english while being very chatty and friendly. I got a last minute service and I will certainly be going back to the HBL and will mention to all friends to avoid the elitist Salon Serendipity who can’t be bothered to answer a phone.
[ ADDED AFTER READING ANOTHER OWNER COMMENT ]
«Thanks for your review we appriciate you taking the time to review our salon; Julie is our newest staff member here at Salon Serendipity and is newer in the industry. She is building her technique and product back bar. We hope that you will try her again in the future as she will continue to improve her techniques, speed and inventory. The nail enamel that she uses is of good quality, less popular than OPI but quailty wise is very good. As she continues to grow Im sure that she will enlarge her variety.
Thanks again,
Nancy (salon owner)»
So you have under qualified technicians working for you using inferior products? People are her guinea pigs to train on? Have your staff using the BEST products like OPI not sub-​par substitutions as you mention she did.

A bit pricey but well worth it. Best manicure of my life!

Worst shellac mani I have had. I had it done on Saturday afternoon, and by Tuesday morning there were chips, and more than half of the nails were already lifting.
The salon itself is very nice and welcoming, and deserves 4 stars just for its ambiance, but the services I received are not up to par. I have been paying less for shellac elsewhere and have had it stay nice and chip free for over a week and I came here hoping that I could get someone who would be able to put it on well enough that I could get the full 14 days like CND says.
The mani itself only consisted of removing the old shellac and repainting… No soaking my nails, no pushing back the cuticles, and no trimming the cuticles. I expected way more from a full service salon like this based on its Unilocal reviews…
I may try this salon again for nails but I won’t be seeing Laura.

I was recommended by a friend to try out this salon for a pedicure. I was looking for something other than the usual nail salons where your in and your out and you feel as if you are being talked about because they know you don’t understand their language. Salon Serendipity has a little bit of everything, hair, skin, nails, spray tan. I took my friends recommendation and I made an apt with Sylvia for a mani/​pedi. I have now been going on a regular basis. This place is amazing, and Sylvia is the sweetest gal! She is also very creative if you want to go with something out of the ordinary. You can either cary on a conversation with her or just close your eyes and relax! I have gotten countless compliments on my nails (which i’ve never gotten before).
If your looking for a great place to go relax and enjoy a day or an hour of pampering Salon Serendipity is the place to go, and Sylvia is your gal for amazing manis/​pedis! I’m looking forward to my next one!

When I first came to Julie to do my nails they were so short, weak and damage for been used a lot of acrylic nails. Now my nails are long healthier and stronger plus I do not have to use acrylic nails ever again.

I Am a mom of 3 kids and always busy cooking, cleaning and washing dishes. What I like the most about Julies nails is that they can last three weeks or more and I am so happy because my nails looks FABULOUS…
The place its easy to find and most important makes you feel welcome…

got my nails done here by Christie.
She is AMAZING! Her free-​hand French is great and she cleans pretty damn well! I was impressed.

Salon Serendipity is a cute little salon in Kensington but my oh my do they have a diamond in the rough here!
Nancy is the owner of the salon and a GRAND MASTER MANICURIST! She is amazing. Let me tell you, I have been to hundreds of nail salons across the county of San Diego and she is by far the best, first of all she is super sweet, her artistry is AMAZING! She has every design, glitter, powder, shell, and nail polish you can possibly imagine.
She takes such time sculpting her artificial nails one by one by hand. I have never seen such art going into nails and how mine have truly lifted and fallen off everywhere I have gone but here. She takes extra time ensuring that I am happy and that they will not lift and guarentees her work for 2 whole weeks! She takes extereme pride in her work and I only have to see her once a month (Although if I miss her, I come sooner :))
I hate to tell anyone about her because she will be even more booked but I live in Carmel Valley and it is worth the drive and every penny spent to see her, check her out if you have a chance and I have heard and seen the others working at the salon and their results turn out great as well!