WARNING: This is a LONG review! (It was written after I visited the salon in May 2013 even though I am posting it almost a year later... They have since moved to a new location.)
I normally wear my shoulder-length natural hair in twist/braid-outs, but I got so frustrated with my hair one day this week that I decided to opt for a protective style so I wouldn't have to touch it for awhile. A Facebook friend forwarded a link to the Bohemian Soul website and I fell in love with the "Uptown Curl", which is one of the salon's signature styles. I looked up the salon on Yelp and saw that it had good reviews, so on a whim, I booked an appointment. The online scheduling is great - so quick and easy! The next day I started having doubts about a protective style (I was just worried about trying something new) so I needed some questions answered. I called the salon and spoke with Deitra who patiently answered all of my (many!) questions. I asked if there was anything I needed to do to my hair and she said that I should shampoo my hair, detangle, divide it into 4 sections and let it air dry. That's exactly what I did.
My appointment was at 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday. I live in Harlem and the salon is in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (an unfamiliar area for me) so I left my house very early. HopStop said to take the A train to Nostrand Ave. From there, the salon is about a 10-minute walk. It was fine because it was a nice day, but it's not really that convenient to public transportation (but maybe that's just because I'm used to the train being outside my apartment building... I'm spoiled, I guess!) and I would not have been happy had the weather been less than pleasant.
As another poster mentioned, the "salon" is located inside of a private apartment. You have to be buzzed into the building. Be warned, the salon is on the 3rd floor of a WALK-UP. I looked everywhere for an elevator... only to discover there isn't one! But the walk up the stairs is really not bad at all (and this is from someone who, as I mentioned before, is spoiled!). Once inside the building, there are two sets of staircases. To get to Bohemian Soul, you need to take the staircase furthest from the front door, which I learned the hard way by going up the wrong staircase and having to come back down and climb the stairs AGAIN! LOL!
When I arrived at the salon, I was greeted at the door by Stacey who turned out to be my stylist for the day. Because I had allotted so much travel time, I wound up being 25 minutes early for my appointment. That worked out in my favor. Even though I was early, as soon as I walked in, Stacey put me in a seat and started working on my hair. Since my hair was already washed and detangled, she just started braiding. I got there at 9:35 and I was walking back down Pacific Street by 11:20 with a head full of beautiful curls!! In and out in under 2 hours. It's a miracle! I had downloaded two movies thinking I'd be there all day, and didn't even have time to watch one of them! This is the style that I got (a photo from their website): bohemiansoul.com/services/extensions/the-uptown-curl-extensions/1950970. Please note, MINE LOOKS BETTER!! :-) Within 2 hours of leaving the salon, I'd already racked up at least 5 compliments. Just saying... The style was not cheap but, hey, you get what you pay for, right? Considering that it looks great and will (allegedly) last me for three months, I think it's worth every penny!
The salon itself is just one room. There is one wash bowl, a hooded dryer, two stylist chairs, a couch, and a desk with a computer. That's it. No frills. But it was comfortable and clean and that's all I really cared about. Plus, they played really good music! LOL. Stacey, my stylist, was a joy. She worked quickly but thoroughly, and made pleasant/appropriate conversation without being overbearing. The best part about it all? I was the ONLY client being worked on the entire time I was there! WHAT?! I had her undivided attention and, as such, she was really able to customize the style to reflect what I wanted. I have never been the only client in a hair salon before. It was amazing! AND, Stacey told me that she had already completed an early morning client before I got there (I got there at 9:35 am, so that's just mind-blowing to me!) and had another coming after me and we all would have her undivided attention. Great customer service!
Bottom line, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the salon and Stacey in particular. My hair looks exactly the way I envisioned it when I made the appointment and that almost NEVER happens for me when I visit a salon. Also, Stacey told me that the salon would be moving to a storefront on Nostrand Ave in a few weeks, and it will now be closer to the train with no walk-up!! Once that happens, this place will earn 5-stars from me. Keep up the good work, Bohemian Soul! You have a new loyal customer!! read more