I went to Brandie for the first time last week. I love, love, love my hair color and cut. The salon is fabulous and so is Brandie. read more

Really enjoyed my cut here. Fantastic friendly service. Highly recommend and definitely returning!!

Isaac is simply the BEST!!! Essence R O C K S!!! He's been my stylist for over 14 years and he's now working his magic on my two daughter's. He definitely knows hair and works on all hair types for both men and women. I had to share how super satisfied we were after our visit yesterday. He especially knows how to treat people . I love my salon and everyone in it. All are so friendly including management (Erika & Tatiana). The price is right for the quality- you get what you pay for. My blowouts are amazing and always feel like a million bucks walking out of Essence. I look forward to seeing Isaac and it's not just the shampoo massage or the amazing blowouts, but I enjoy our conversations! He's sincerely a great person! I'm a firm believer that people do business with people... (call in advance because he books up fast!!) read more

Called on a whim and they fit me in immediately and close enough for me to walk over. Brandy cut my hair and did an excellent job! It had been a while. She didn't make me feel bad about my self trims and dye jobs she was fun and perfect level of conversation. Was quick and efficient. Will definitely come here next time. read more

East 1212 - Haircut - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

Lori is my stylist. She's super sweet and really listens to what you want done unlike other stylists who do what they wanna do instead of your own ideas. Facility is very comfy like a house turned into a salon. They serve coffee and water. They treat you with great service. read more

East 1212 - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great salon in Pasadena! I went here on the recommendation of a friend who is assisting at this salon. Her name is Juliette and she is fantastic! I highly recommend you see her for all your hair needs. When you pull up to the salon, make sure you park at the music conservatory and not near the bank because you WILL be towed. The salon is located inside a quaint little building. I loved the inside decor and the individual rooms for stylists. Essence also offers a yelp check in and gives you a premium sample if you show that you checked in. I will definitely be back despite the drive. If you are looking for a nice change, please go see Juliette! She is friendly, professional and does an amazing job on hair! read more

Came for a cut by Brandie and as one other review mentioned, I also absolutely hated the cut. I asked for a very simple cut but she some how managed to make it very choppy. I could clearly see where she snipped the different locks of hair. I may not be a hair stylist, but I know that the sequence is usually hair wash, cut, dry, and cut/trim again for refinement. She only did wash, cut (10 min total), dry. She blow dried my hair and styled it a little so I was unable to see the flaws of her cuts. If I had known she was not going to do further cuts and trims after she dried my hair, I would have told her to stop and fix my hair up first. I had to get this horrendous cut fixed by another stylist elsewhere the following week because I could not stand it. read more

Wow! What an amazing time my girlfriends and I had tonight at Essence salon! I won one of their amazing 'Girls Night Out' packages that Essence donated for a charity event, which included a full evening of beauty treatments for myself and three of my friends - hair blowout/style, manicure, makeup, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. They even gave us each a gift bag after our night of special treatment. We had a blast! The professionals there were all so good at choosing the right look for each of us and we had so much fun getting complete makeovers together. We took lots of photos (including dating profile pics for our newly divorced friend!) and went out to celebrate afterwards to show off our new looks! The Girls Night Out package would be such a great idea for a bachelorette party or before a high school reunion, special event or wedding for several friends. We will definitely be back for hair and nail services and to have makeup, mails and hair done before special events. I'm so happy to have found this gem right in my neighborhood! read more

East 1212 - Girls Night Out! at Essence Hair Salon Pasadena - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

I found a Brandie via Groupon, and I am so glad I did! I have had a real hard time getting a stylist that isn't overly expensive ortime consuming. But I think Brandie might be it! She is quick, attentive, and very pleasant to work with. Also funny, which is a huge plus. She did my wash, cut, and blowout in about 30 minutes! And it looks damn good! I will definitely be back in a few months for my next cut! read more

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My hair girl is Brandy and she is the BEST. Ask for her. I found Brandi online about a year ago. My hair was a hot mess. It was fragile, fried, and 4 different colors. Not an exaggeration. She told me we had to do a color correction and then highlights. It was gonna be an extra $100 but I did it because I knew my hair needed it. The process took 4 hours but damn, it was so worth it. She COMPLETELY changed my hair and gave me exactly what I wanted, which was light brown/blonde highlights. The place she was originally at closed down so now she's at this salon. She's been working here for a couple months now. I see her every 2-3 months to keep up with my roots and freshen up my high lights. After the color correction, she literally saved my hair. Every single place I've been to has either fucked Up the highlights, cut my hair WAY too short, or not given me the hair color I've wanted. She's the best by far. Brandy is AWESOME! Ask for her, you will NOT regret it one bit!!! read more

Brandie by far is the best stylist I have ever had! She took my hair from drab to fab. Before I started going to her I wanted to try something different and decided to go from blonde to red. Needless to say this failed horribly by another stylist who turned my hair faded red with peach/orange tones and green undertone. Brandie performs miracles because in one sitting and color correction she got me from a horrible hair mess back to perfect blonde hair. She understands how to do both blonde and color perfectly and is efficient. If you're looking for a new stylist, she's the one to go with for all your hair needs! read more

East 1212 - Before on the left and right is the perfect color correction done in one sitting! Brandie is a miracle worker! - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

Hands down the best experience I've ever had cutting my hair. Erika is an angel and made this process a breeze. I hate cutting my hair but knew it was time as my split ends were getting BAD. Erika was recommended to me and I am so glad she was! She is patient, informative, gentle, and super friendly. The environment is friendly, clean, and professional. They do everything here from makeup, to hair stylists, and even a nail technician on duty. They have it all this is a one stop shop that I plan to continue visiting. The location is currently going through a name change, from Essence to East 1212. This location has amazing customer service, extraordinary staff, and overall a great experience. They take their time and put effort into the work they offer. Erika took over 2 hours on me and I only got a cut today! I come back in next week for a gloss (dyes the hair but isn't permanent, fun way to explore a few color styles without the damage/maintenance of permanent dye). Will post pictures once my hair is finalized with the gloss. Do yourself a favor and book your appointment at East 1212 because you won't regret it. read more

My stylist was so nice, did a great job and I was really happy until I got to the reception desk after I was done. First, my bill for a cut and color was SUPER expensive. A friend referred me and didn't mention the price, but it's my fault for not checking first. But secondly, and the reason that I give such a low rating is that the owner was at the desk to check me out and she was a TOTAL BITCH. First, she snapped at me when I wasn't even talking to her; I asked my stylist if I could buy a certain product at CosmoProf, since I get a professional discount, and she said NO! from behind us. Then when I paid she didn't look at me in the eye at all, just took my credit card, handed me my receipt and then when I was asking her some questions, she completely ignored me and didn't even look up from the desk. It was totally akward because there were other staff members standing around us and finally, the friendly girl who shampooed me had to jump in and answer my questions. The owner never looked up or even said goodbye or thank you, nothing! I have never been so offended. It is totally unprofessional and really bad business to be so incredibly rude to a brand new client, especially if you're the owner! I feel bad because I really liked my stylist, but I will never go back because the owner was such a bitch. read more

Gotta write a new update.... Now.. I hate to be a traitor, but after vising Essence Salon once, I heard about the wonderful CC who does a fantastic job with Asian hair. Now, I haven't had a bad experience or anything with other stylists, but sometimes other Asian stylists know exactly my gripes and loves about my hair and know how to deal with our seemingly 'simple' hair. CC is my new hair best friend! She knows exactly how to manipulate my hair, how to texturize it so it doesn't lay all flat and boring... without going all crazy with the scissors and blowout. Not only is CC talented, but she's also a delight and such a sweetheart! How can you go wrong?! Thanks, CC, for everything! read more

BOTTOM LINE: too expensive Good: - free and easy parking - salon provides a plethora of services Bad: - extremely overpriced - stylists here aren't "masters" at what they do. you can find the same caliber work at Fantastic Sam's. read more

Tucked away in a nice old school corner is this AWESOME hair salon in Pasadena.(near PCC) CC is my hair dresser and she is absolutely the best. Always perky and a fun attitude. Easy to talk to and she does a great job every time I visit. She's trained in Japan so she has some delicate touches that I haven't seen before with my previous hair dressers. She does get booked up on the weekends so if you RSVP better do it soon. If you go in the AM they have free coffee and donuts to snack on. Way to go CC keep up the good work read more

Esther is amazing! So sweet and did an incredible job! It's been so difficult to find a stylist I like and I will definitely be coming back to her! read more

I get my hair done by Erica and she is amazing!! I love how she can do exactly what I ask for, if not better. She knows her craft and always takes her time to make sure she leaves my hair looking beautiful. She has never damaged my hair and actually helps me take care of my crazy curls! I wanted to try smth new recently and get purple tips but was too afraid and she made it look so good i came back to get it retouched. And it's not gna be the last time :) Not only is she talented, she is also very nice and kind. She always makes sure my visit is a pleasant experience and it always is. She genuinely cares about her clients and always does an amazing job. Also, her blowdries are amazing. No one can blow dry my unruly hair like she does. The salon is beautiful and everyone is really nice. If you want to get your hair done by true professionals, you gotta give Essense a try. read more

LOVE this salon. I've been twice and Fi is awesome! I always get amazing feedback from my family and friends after seeing her.

I just had to come visit this place after seeing the reviews. I went a week ago & had a great experience! I didn't have an appointment, just called & walked in. They were able to fit me in no problem. Thumbs up! I had my hair cut by CC & she did a great job, even giving me her opinion on what was good & not good out of my ideas. Super friendly & fun to talk to! Another thumbs up! I also squeezed in a CND Shellac manicure with no appointment! Amazing! They are also having a deal on Shellac for $10 off the regular price right now for first time service! Two thumbs up & a big toe!! The nail tech is super awesome, fun to talk to, & a lot of laughs! My nails are still flawless! Shellac is the best & I can't wait to get them done again! Yay Essence Salon! I'm so happy I found you guys!;-) read more

I joined yelp only to give them this rating. I needed a quick hair cut and found them at east Colorado blvd. I asked the receptionist if there was someone available at the moment. She went to check and returned literally after 10 minutes and said, Tony would be available in 20 minutes. I said that's fine And just waited. After an hour(not joking) I got fed up and went back to her to ask how much time is it still going to take as I had to rush to a place in about a couple of hours. She said it's still going to take 20 to 30 more minutes because Tony is coloring someone's hair. So basically I wasted an hour and they were still not sure when I would get a haircut! I just walked out of the place. Essence salons, If you do not have time for walk-in customers please tell them so. Bad customer service. read more

Before having Brandie at Essence Hair Salon cut my hair I was super jaded because of the ghosts of hair stylists past. I've let Brandie put scissors to my hair a few times now, and I'll never let my another stylists touch my locks. I have naturally curly hair, which can be a bit finicky to work with, but an expert like Brandie knows what she's doing! I absolutely love her work and I trust her with my hair completely. read more

I came in for a haircut with Brandie. She's super nice and pleasant to talk to, but I absolutely hate my haircut. I asked for a trim, because I am trying to grow my hair out, and for a few layers too. I came out with the choppiest layers I have ever received and chunky "face framing layers" that make it difficult for me to tie my hair back. She did an all wet cut and styled it in a way that I wasn't able to see the choppy layers until I got back home to wash my hair. I tried saving the haircut by styling my hair in different ways but nothing looks good. It looks choppy when straight, and the layers stick out strangely when I try to curl it. Even my sister said "damn that's bad" when she saw my cut. Maybe the choppiness is the result of not receiving a dry cut after her initial wet cut? Maybe I didn't receive her normal haircut service because I purchased a Groupon for my haircut? I thought I was pretty clear about what I wanted but maybe we weren't on the same page? I have no clue but I am so unhappy with my haircut. Feels like the last 5 months I spent trying to grow my hair out just went down the drain. I feel pretty terrible leaving this bad review, but I hate my haircut enough to write it. I've seen some pretty positive reviews for Brandie so maybe she's just not the stylist for me. read more

I give one star only for the service I got from the woman answering the phone. The hair service is probably wonderful, which is why I called them. I asked the woman on the phone if the salon does up-dos or hairstyles and she said she didn't know. She gave me the name of a worker there who would call me back to answer my questions. She asked what I wanted done, and as I was telling her she interrupted by telling me that I'll get a call and bye. I haven't gotten a return call, and it's been about a week. I have another stylist lined up, but if you really want to use this salon, you might have to physically go into the salon to talk to people. read more

Darlene, Darlene and Darlene!!! If you want beautiful hair done by a true professional, look for Darlene!!! I have been going to Darlene for almost 13 years now, and I am absolutely obsessed with my hair!! She does the most amazing cuts and coloring. She works her magic through without me ever telling her what to do! I always get compliments everywhere I go from both men and women saying how my hair looks like those hair models on magazines and TV. Who doesn't like to hear compliments like that?!! That being said, I highly recommend her to everyone! read more

I got a gift certificate from Essence years ago, but was afraid to try a stylist I didn't know. So I let my teenaged daughter get her hair cut & styled by Eden. WOW! Eden took a girl who didn't even know what she wanted and gave her the cutest haircut ever. (My daughter has come in with requests for radical changes 3 times since then, and every time, it's the cutest haircut ever -- I don't know how Eden does it.) Naturally, I started having Eden cut my hair, too. She's really good at making you look great if you don't know exactly what you want. But she'll also follow instructions when you do have specific ideas. After my first Eden haircut, friends told me I looked 10 years younger -- it's a beautiful thing! Now she's helping me sail gracefully through middle age, and I trust her to adapt my style (and color!) to be appropriate and attractive every step of the way. read more

Erika is the goddess of color. 11/10 would recommend. She really takes her time with your hair to make sure it comes out perfect. Anyone I know who has questions on color I always recommend this place. You will never regret coming here. From cool and punk to classy color, she can really do it all. read more

Erika has been doing my makeup for more than 7 years, so in love with her work, I really recommend her, she's the best. Tatiana is also great with hair and makeup, love them both!! read more

Essence happens to have the BEST nail artist ever, who is Dori! I am originally from Texas, so when I moved out to Pasadena I had a hard time finding a talented nail artist. Luckily, I found her through Yelp! Not only is she extremely crafty and skilled at designing nail art, but is also a joy to spend my day with; therefore, I look forward to my appointments with her!! I have never had a better experience getting my nails done than with Dori!! Book her, you won't be disappointed! read more

East 1212 - My shimmery candy cane fingers & glittery New Year's toes by the fabulous Dori! - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

Omg! This place is fabulous. Nicest staff. They were tripping over themselves getting me something to drink, something to read, did I park okay?...I felt like a celebrity. My hair was cut by Armando who absolutely worked miracles on the dryest, most overgrown head of hair on the planet. This place is my new "go to" and Armando will be my permanent "hair doctor" read more

I have been to see a Brandie 4 times, and 4 times I have left the salon feeling amazing. From the wash to the cut to the color to the blowout! No one will ever touch my hair again! Thank you Brandie for making me feel fabulous! read more

Aw. I just called today to schedule an appointment to see Lori, but apparently she's gone away and the receptionist doesn't know where she went. Best of luck to Lori! The receptionist was much nicer than when I've called before, and was very polite. So apparently their front staff have gone to charm school. read more

I Love Nika, she has been my hairstylist for over 6 years, and I couldn't be more happy. I have long hair, and she always gives me advice for a new cut, color, or advice on how to maintain my hair. I value her opinion and expertise so much, that I have my mom and sister going to her for their haircuts and color. I absolutely love how she styles my hair, sometimes waves, sometimes flat iron, either way I leave with a huge smile on my face. I trust her so much, that I also had her do my up-do for my wedding.I have long hair already, but I have seen her work with hair extensions, and she is a Master. Can you tell I absolutely love the way Nika makes me feel after I have visited her in the salon? See my pics of my recent visit.(FYI: I normally have wavy, sometimes frizzy hair.) Love it! read more

East 1212 - Nika's Work :) - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

I love Tatianna. She's been taking care of me for longer than I want to mention. She keeps me fresh and updates my style as needed. She's an amazing colorist and several of my friends are now her clients because they like my hair so much. I love the new open and airy salon. read more

I made a appointment for my son to get a haircut for his graduation and got tony he gave him the worst haircut ever it was so uneven I took him there because I thought it would turn out great it's such nice salon but for $40 he'll no really bad read more

I have been a loyal CC fan for years! A friend of mine introduced me to her, and she was just fantastic. She's super friendly, and such a talented artist. Her attention to detail is impeccable. She's great with simple as well as with edgy and sexy cuts. And she introduced me to an organic hair color that changed my life. I always feel fresh and beautiful when I leave her hot little hands. And I get tons of compliments. It's a little bit of a drive for me, but well worth the trip. In fact, I introduced her to my best friend, who has since moved to San Francisco. Now, when she visits, she makes sure she gets an appointment in with CC during her trip. The salon is clean and charming with comfy couches and coffee in the waiting area, and the staff is friendly and professional, but CC truly is my reason for going. Thanks for everything, CC! read more

I've been "seeing" Amanda Mellard at Essence Hair Salon for about 2-3 years now. I'm a picky redhead in the entertainment industry - the most dreaded of all clients (ha) - so I can be challenging to say the least. Amanda has taken a vested interest in not only helping me with my difficult and damaged hair, but in my overall happiness with my "look and feel" on stage. Not only is the vibe at Essence hip enough to be cool, but it's Zen enough to put even this neurotic performer at ease. I trust Amanda with my coveted red locks....which is definitely saying something! read more

East 1212 - I wouldn't trust this red head to anyone but Amanda at Essence... - Hair Salons Near Me - Pasadena, California

I live two hours away and it was the cheapest groupon. So i sat in a traffic jam half the time because of a bad accident until i got 10 minutes away and she texts me we have to reschedule... read more

My hair is complicated. Or rather I should say, I'm high maintenance. Very high maintenance. BRANDIE has never failed to meet my needs, almost always exceeding my expectations. She'll be honest with me when my request will take more than one session (sayyy converting my blonde with highlights and lowlights with cherry red topped with dark brown underlayers to a platinum/lavender/purple reverse ombré-- high maintenance whaaa?!). But usually she just fixes me right up every time. Granted, I do go to her regularly, I understand the importance of regular maintenance. And if I ever have an issue and am less than totally satisfied, she fixes it immediately. Even if I don't realize it the same day. It took me years to find someone once I moved to LA, but I am SO grateful my friend introduced us. I would recommend her to anyone!!!! read more

I got a haircut from Armando and he was incredible. I had a good time and he did an amazing job. I haven't felt this confident in my hair in a while. This is definitely my new hair place and Armando is DEFINITELY my new guy read more