Essence Salon

I got my hair cut here yesterday by Tricia and the more I look at it the more this seems like a haircut out of my nightmares. I have been growing out my hair for my upcoming wedding, and my main instruction was "keep it long". First of all, Tricia was running 45 minutes late, and then it felt like she was in a rush. She never asked if I wanted face framing, and before I knew it she had cut away inches upon inches in the front. It felt like she spent a lot of the rest of the haircut trying to blend it in, but it didn’t work very well and is really choppy. I didn't want face framing to begin with, but now my hair at the front is probably 2 inches shorter than the rest of my hair and the drop looks really sudden. It doesn't fit into my braids or other hairstyling I have been doing. I am so sad because there is no way to put this hair back, and I don’t want to cut the rest of my hair shorter to make it blend in. This haircut was so important to me because of my upcoming wedding, which I made clear to her, but it feels like she totally botched my hair. Update: the salon refunded my appointment and offered a complementary cut with another stylist closer to my wedding to help smoothen it out. I appreciate that they are trying to make it right, but of course I would rather have my hair back than my money. It is so choppy in front I feel bad even wearing it down right now and am going to try to wear it up, even though that is not my usual style.

I was super skeptical to go to a salon because of my first experience was so bad. However, this salon was beyond amazing! From the service to the staff it was everything I wish I had the first time. The lady in the front desk Anaiis was so fun and bubbly & offered me refreshments. Claudia took her time with my hair and made sure my vision came to life. Lauren was just the sweetest with helping me schedule and figuring out my hair care goal. I seriously want to go back just for the amazing staff there! I haven’t laughed and smiled as much as I did with these ladies. They will definitely make sure your hair goals come to life while fulfilling all your self care needs!!! 100/10

I had such a great experience with Grace at Essence Salon in Mountain View! I came in with really dark hair wanting natural-looking highlights that blend well with grays, and she totally nailed it. Grace has an amazing eye for what looks good and how to blend color seamlessly, it looks so soft and natural, I love it! The process took time (my hair took a while to lift), but Grace was super accommodating, upbeat, and patient (3.5 hours!). Even after the initial session, she asked me to take some time and decide if I wanted to come back to make any adjustments. I really appreciated that. I went in a week later for another round of toner and now it’s absolutely perfect. Grace is super talented (and funny!!). Highly recommend her if you’re looking for someone who truly cares about getting it just right while making you feel comfortable at the same time. Also the front office staff (Lauren, Sofia) are fantastic. They facilitate gathering of details for your appointment, inform the stylist and make sure you know what to expect. Super responsive via text. The whole team works together to make sure you have a satisfying experience.

I love getting my hair done by Grace at Essence salon. I had a lot of trouble finding a salon that could work well with my super fine, Asian hair and Grace nails it every time. I come with a different style/inspiration each visit and she always manages to personalize it for my hair type and my style. Even after I moved to SF, I drove down to Mountain View because I knew I’d leave happy every time.

I found this salon by googling how to find a good salon. I read about each stylist and decided that Yessenia was the perfect choice for me. Yessenia nailed my hair color and gave me the exact cut I wanted, plus she is warm and friendly. Everyone at the salon is. Really, my whole experience was wonderful and I now have a new salon and stylist to call home! I can’t recommend enough!!

I’ve been going to Essence for years. Every time, I am happy with the service and end result. When I was much younger, I rarely went to salons because of a few bad experiences. Essence has cured me of that. Yessenia is my go-to stylist, but I have found that all the stylists there are amazing.

I’m not usually someone who leaves reviews, but after my experience yesterday, I felt compelled to share. I had a haircut appointment with Vivian, and unfortunately, it was one of the worst salon experiences I’ve ever had. I have long, thick hair that can take a bit of effort to manage, but I’ve never been treated with such impatience and hostility before. During the hair wash, she was extremely rough, digging her nails into my scalp and tugging at my hair aggressively. I stayed quiet at the time, but I wish I had spoken up. When brushing my hair, she seemed visibly annoyed and kept making faces, which was uncomfortable. I asked for layers, but she insisted that cutting just the ends would "suit me better." I ended up paying $140 for what was essentially a simple trim, something I could’ve easily gotten elsewhere for a fraction of the price. To make matters worse, she initially refused to blow dry or style my hair, saying it wasn’t included, even though I’ve been to this salon before and the service has always included a blow dry. She later agreed "as a one-time exception," but even then, she complained repeatedly about being tired and having too many clients. During the blow dry, she was so rough that she accidentally hit my newly pierced ear, which was very painful. Despite all this, I still left a tip out of courtesy. I’ve had wonderful experiences here in the past, particularly with senior stylists, and I’ve even recommended this salon to friends. However, after this visit, I won’t be returning.