So I'm warning you, this is a long one. I wondered for a long time whether or not I should post (especially seeing as she has so many outstanding reviews), and whether I was taking my experience too personally. Here goes.. I went in over the summer for a balayage and cut, I had just finished my first semester of grad school here and it was meant to be somewhat of a treat to myself. I had Melissa do my hair and she seemed friendly and considerate at first. Positives: The cut was fine and the dye job wasn't awful. Negatives: I had barely been sat down in the chair for 10 min when Melissa exclaimed 'wow your hair is soooo thin!' ok so this threw me off guard a little bit.. For one, my hair isn't exactly super thick, but it also isn't super thin either and besides that, I would think a hairdresser would know better than to make those kinds of comments. But ok, moving on, I chalked it up to insensitivity. Strike 2, we were chatting and she asked me 'where are you from', 'England!', 'oh but ethnically?' 'ahh my dad is iranian' 'ahhh! so thats where the thin hair comes from'. I kid you not, her words exactly. Who says that??? Way to make me feel like shit about myself. Third strike comes in the form of 'you have grad student hair, what happens is grad students don't eat properly, and they're stresses and then their hair starts to fall out'. Ok cool. At this point I have no choice but to put on a smile because I'm stuck in this chair for a good 2 hours or so. So the fourth strike comes when shes washing my hair and exclaims 'your hair feels nasty!' I'm literally gobsmacked and mumble something about 'It's probably product buildup..' she starts going on about how its from dying my hair too much and how hair dye strips the hair - guys, I haven't dyed my hair in 4 years and I say so, instead of accepting that I would know if I'd dyed my hair she replies with 'hmmmm are you sure, because hair dye causes damage like this..'.................................... Honestly at this point I'm on the verge of tears but holding it together. I've lost count of the strikes. Then comes the so called balayage. It wasn't what I wanted - didn't look faded in, she did such fine layers that it ended up looking like a weird blob of colour. Perhaps this was my fault and I should have been more clear, well at one point I said to her 'I know you know what you're doing but could you do the layers a little bit thicker but less of them' she gave me this look as if to say 'I know what I'm doing' and just said nothing. I've attached a picture of my hair that I took immediately after getting it done. This is just my personal experience but I would not recommend this place. There are much more talented hairdressers in town. read more

Eden's Rain Salon - Balayage + Cut - Hair Salons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I'm very picky about who does my hair. So much so that I usually go years without a proper cut. I did a lot of research on salons in the C-U area and finally decided to try Eden's Rain and I'm so happy I did! My curls are back to being defined and full of volume. Melissa listened to what I wanted and gave me advice on how best to wash and style my hair. If you have curly hair I would highly recommend Eden's Rain. I felt safe the entire time I was in the salon. Everything was clean, masks are worn at all times. It was such a great experience. read more

Having bounced around to 4 different salons in CU in 3 years, this place was such a great find! I end up with a great cut and color but the experience was even better because Melissa was so kind, informative and fun. She explained everything she was doing which made me feel like I was in knowledgeable hands! The salon is well decorated and clean but isn't stuffy/too cool like many other salons in Champaign. So welcoming! read more

I went here for a massage with a gift certificate. The therapist was very nice but the massage was more of an awkward heavy petting session. I kept telling her she could use more pressure but it didn't happen. This was the worst massage I've ever had. I definitely would never go back for a massage. read more

This is the one place where I have received a wax and it has not been incredibly painful. When wax is applied to specific areas of the body, it can hurt when it's ripped off. And it can hurt very, very badly. At Eden's Rain Salon, I saw Andrea, who was very patient in explaining the waxing process to me, as well as the various waxes she uses. She understood my apprehension due to previous bad experiences, and she asked how I was feeling throughout the entire process. I felt moderate pain only twice. Andrea understood, gave me a couple seconds to recover, then proceeded with finishing my Brazilian. The rest of the wax was essentially painless, similar to how it feels when you're plucking your eyebrows and have been doing it for a while (but obviously in a different location). It felt quick and easy and I will most definitely be coming again. If you are looking for a wax that involves significantly less pain, go to Andrea. read more

Melissa is awesome! When I first started going to her my naturally curly hair was dry and frizzy and awful. She introduced me to the Deva Curl products and encouraged me to use them. I have, and with time my hair is much healthier. She also knows how to cut curly hair to enhance the shape of the curls. I feel like I am in good, confident hands here. I also had a massage by Cathryn. She is so kind and helpful. She also gave me some stretches to do on my own, which have helped address my back pain and painful wrists. Really happy with the results and will be going again. read more

Melissa is, by far, the most talented stylist that I've come across in the area! She gives amazing, and very flattering, haircuts. She truly understands what looks best on her client (at the same time as she listens and gives you what you ask for). read more

I normally don't write reviews, but my experience deems it necessary. This review is for prospective clients. As I'm sure regulars become regulars because they haven't had terrible experiences. If you are looking for coloring your hair, look elsewhere. I brought pictures of the color and style of what I wanted (honey-brown-caramel tones), which by the way were more than suitable for my natural dark brown hair color. Before Melissa began, she sounded like she knew what she was doing, like another reviewer wrote, which made me trust her professional knowledge and skills. I ended up with bleached "hombre." The orange/yellow highlight left my hair feeling and looking completely stripped. What really bothered me was that she noted how beautiful the "honey" tones turned out. I honestly don't know if she was trying to cover up her mistake. I mean we were both seeing the same thing--bleached hair! Regardless, I hope that the picture speaks for itself. She also told me that it can take an average of 72 hours to get used to a new color/style. When I got home, I facetimed my mom and sister, they could not believe the atrocity that she had done to my hair. So I called her that same evening to see if she could fix it. She was very polite and schedule me in the next day due to a cancellation. I was so desperate for anything other than bleached hair. Getting back my dark brown hair would have been suffice at this point. When Melissa tried to remedy the problem, she used a dye that was much darker than my own natural dark brown. Although, she said it was the same. I disagree. I know my own natural hair color and I also understand that hair lightens with exposure to the sun. However, my natural hair color is not black. In addition to the black dye, she used a red "blend" for highlighting throughout. But, I ended up with uneven red streaks, one particular streak only shows up on the left side up at the roots. There were also some patches that she missed from the bleached orange/yellow "highlights." At this point, I haven't tried calling to reschedule another appointment because I don't trust that she can even fix what she has done. I know that my hair will grow out, but I came in lured by the other reviews and the organic products, which fortunately don't seem to have completely dried up my hair, thankfully. It is because of this, I give one star, otherwise I wouldn't have given them any. Good luck. read more

They have amazing massages! I came in after being badly injured in a car wreck. Catherine is so good at therapeutic deep tissue massage. Her techniques and methods promoted much needed healing for me during a very difficult recovery. Most massages that I have experienced that are therapeutic are very rough. I have had some places leave bruises. That was not an issue here. She did a great job of being gentle, yet still accomplishing our goals of increased mobility, pain reduction, and healing. The massages often involved hot stones soooo nice. She even has a heated massage table for winter time massages. It was a very relaxing environment. She used lotions and oils that were soothing, not greasy, and also hypoallergenic. Best massages I have ever had! Thank you Catherine! read more

I have been to most of the other salons in Champaign (Kane's , Ippatsu, BJ, Yuko, etc), and Eden's Rain Salon is by far the best. Melissa is a fabulous hairdresser . She uses only organic products, and really cares about protecting your health. She does great work on my daughter's super curly hair, and is equally good with my long, straight hair. My friend has a short pixie cut from her that looks totally stylish. She will also do more adventurous colors and cuts and she is good with young kids. She really knows how to work with you and your personality. Free parking in the back of the salon. Highly recommended read more

I had a superb experience with Melissa. Not only was she able to assuage my desperation to get an appointment on short notice, she came in on a holiday...and I was a new client! I am very pleased with both the cut and color she did. In addition to her technical expertise, I found Melissa to be an authentic, kind, and engaging person. I am so glad to have found my new stylist!! read more

Cathryn is an amazing massage therapist! She has been practicing for over 10 years, so she is steady and confident, and you feel instantly relaxed when you come into her presence. I have had lots of massages around Champaign-Urbana and she is by far the best! read more

Melissa is excellent! It is so hard to find a good hair person when you move to a new town. I was pleased to have found her. She takes the time to listen and then executes a beautiful cut. She takes the time to get to know your hair and what would work best for you. read more

After a very long time looking for a good hair stylist in the area, I decided to visit Melissa in Eden's Rain Salon based on the reviews. I have medium length curly hair and I've been using the same boring layered hair cut for years, until Melissa happened! I only told her two sentences about the length, and left the rest to her. I am so glad that I did so. She took her time examining, cutting and treating my curls, and I am in love with the end result. It is definitely the best hair cut I ever got, plus, with reasonable price. Besides her professionality, she is also very nice and fun to talk to. I am so relieved now that I know where to go whenever I need a hair cut. read more

Andrea was an amazing esthetician!! I got a full brazilian wax from her and she made me feel so comfortable. I was a little nervous about using Nufree for the first time, but it was honestly the best wax I have ever had. It was relatively less painful than hot wax and came out perfect. I highly recommend Andrea, especially for such an amazing price! read more

Melissa cut my hair and I couldn't be more pleased. My daughter gets her lip waxed by Andrea and will not go anywhere else.

I went to another salon in Champaign, and I ended up with a bad color job. I searched Yelp for another salon to get it fixed, and I found Eden's Rain Salon. I called Melissa, and she got me in that day. She took all of the bad color out, and she made my hair look exactly how I wanted it to look. As well as being an outstanding stylist, she was very kind and enjoyable to talk to. I was amazed at how much experience she had working with top professionals in the hair industry. Her salon is beautiful, and the products she uses are great! I will never go to another salon in Champaign again besides Eden's Rain Salon. read more