I don't usually write reviews, but my experience with Wax & Sugar Honolulu -- and especially with…read moreMadoka, the owner - absolutely warrants one. I've been a returning customer for years, even if my hectic schedule as a civil servant kept me away longer than I ever wanted. There's a reason she stays booked: she's genuinely the best. Her knowledge, attention to detail, and the level of care she puts into every customized treatment are unmatched. She doesn't just provide a service -- she creates an experience where you feel understood, comfortable, and taken care of. Recently, I returned out of necessity because my teenage son had his first waxing experience elsewhere, and it was a terrible one - on his birthday too:(( I needed someone I could trust completely, and I knew there was no one better than Madoka...She went out of her way to make sure he felt safe, respected, and reassured. Her calm presence and expertise turned what could have become a long-lasting fear into a positive, empowering experience for him. Madoka truly sets the standard for professionalism and genuine care. I am beyond grateful for her, and I won't be going anywhere else again. If you want someone who is knowledgeable, kind, and consistently exceptional, this is the place. Schedule early bc she gets booked fast! Mahalo nui loa!

I'd follow Madoka anywhere! I only had her once at the Waxing Company but I loved the way she did…read moremy brows so much that I was ready to book with her again! When I found out she wasn't there anymore, I legit did an internal sob T___T but someone on Yelp informed me that she opened up her own waxing business so I hurriedly went on her website and booked an appointment with her! The appointment process is really simple. She can even accommodate to your schedule if there's nothing open to your liking (amazing customer service right there) or she can inform you of a cancellation if you let her know. The place is relatively easy to find: just input the address on Google Maps and once you approach the building, you turn right into the lot and VOILA, you have arrived. Park only in the stalls reserved for Salon 2A I believe? The other stalls are for the dentist, HOWEVER you are allowed to park in their stalls after business hours (Contact Madoka to confirm their hours) Her business is up the stairs, to the left. It's very spacious and well lit. You get offered Peach Tea while you get checked in and then it's time for Madoka to work her magic. She takes her time to make sure your brows are literally on fleek and checks with you to make sure you love them. It's always a wonderful experience threading with her P.S TJ from the Waxing Company has her own business too and she shares the space with Madoka!

10/10 Recommend for all your sugaring needs!…read more It was my first time getting sugared and my first Brazilian done by someone else so I was quite nervous but Sharnay did such a good job making the process as quick and comfortable as possible. I wanted to get sugared for a while now and finally decided to contact Sharnay after looking at other Yelp reviews. She was able to fit me in. She is located in the building across from Kaiser Hospital. Her space is upstairs which was easy to find with her very clear directions I received after booking and the signs presented near the door. There is also plenty of street parking across the street near McKinley HS. When I first walked in, I noticed the room was decorated with plants and crystals-- which is just my style. The room for the sugaring was clean and wipes were provided. The process was a lot shorter than I was expecting, around 15-20 minutes for everything GONE! It was also a lot less painful than regular waxing at home. Will be going back for my 7 week maintenance!

Sharnay was awesome from the moment I contacted her until I left her studio! She was prompt and…read moreprofessional the whole way. She responded to me quickly and was able to accommodate me in her schedule the same day. Easy location to find, only issue I had was the parking I missed the spot fast and had to circle around the building. You'd have to be lucky to get out the driveway onto traffic and in a busy intersection to circle around. Anyways, when I got in side the studio Sharnay made me feel comfortable and relaxed. This was my first time sugaring and threading! She was awesome! Kept checking in on me if I'm doing okay, and she was fast. I'd definitely recommend her to anyone that wants to make the switch to a natural alternative for hair removal. Mahalo Sharnay! I'll definitely be back for more

This is for Yin, she is the amazingest person I have ever met. She just got done with my nails and…read moreshe's only the best if I were you going for petticure? Ask for Yin, she's a 5 star, but I'm gonna tell you this much. She deserves 10.

After spending a week in Waikiki, I'm now back in California, but I didn't want to forget to leave…read morea review for this wonderful nail salon. Tami carefully took care of my pedicure and trimmed the corners of my toenails, while Phuong did my manicure. I was truly impressed by how quickly they worked and how beautiful my nails turned out. I received so many compliments on them afterward! Everyone at the salon was very friendly and welcoming. I happened to walk into this salon without an appointment, and I feel so lucky that I did. Considering its central Waikiki location, where rent must be very expensive, the prices were surprisingly affordable--even lower than many nail salons in California, where there is so much competition. Thank you so much, Tami, Phuong, and everyone at the salon. I was truly impressed with both the quality of the work and the wonderful service!

Mao was great. Did my brows for the first time , although it's taking some time to get used to and…read moreawaiting retouch session for some touch ups her confidence and expertise made me comfortable. Nice clean studio.

Very disappointing experience at Salon Island Beauty. This business refused to honor the publicly…read moreadvertised pricing for PMU services, which I found unprofessional and misleading. Rather than acknowledging the issue or offering a reasonable resolution, the owner, Hideko, insisted on the higher price even after I provided screenshots of the advertised pricing. Whether intentional or not, the experience felt like a bait-and-switch. What was most disappointing was not just the pricing discrepancy, but the lack of accountability and customer service when the issue was raised.

Lily's Nail Spa & Hair Salon | across from the mountain side of Ala Moana Shopping Center, left of…read moreBank of Hawaii | Island of Oahu It's been a year, and it was time! About a year ago, I decided to trim my own hair. Let's just say... it didn't go well. The haircut was so bad that I lived with it for an entire year before finally deciding it was time to let a professional fix it. The funniest part? I even took that haircut with me on a trip to New York City... and believe it or not, no one in New York City even sneered! Teeheehee I honestly think providence brought me here. On my way to Ala Moana Center, I happened to notice Lily's Hair Salon and thought, "That's interesting. I've never noticed that place before." Just before that, I had called Macy's to make an appointment at their salon. The phone rang, but then a recording said the number was no longer in service. Since I just couldn't believe it, I went looking for the salon anyway and discovered it had actually closed during the pandemic. That discovery sure earned a surprised panda face! So, believe it or not, I made my way back to Lily's. When I first walked in, the woman at the front desk told me their hairstylist was busy and suggested I try the salon upstairs. I did, only to find they were closed. I came back downstairs and told her I didn't mind waiting about 20 minutes. While I waited, I happily took advantage of their massage chair. After physical therapy, that massage chair felt wonderful. Before long, Min Hee was ready for me. What I appreciated most was that she listened. The first thing she did after I sat down was start with an assessment and ask me what I wanted trimmed. She never once tried to convince me to cut my hair much shorter than I was comfortable with. I showed her how I like to clip my hair up while still having enough length for a little dangling ponytail, and we agreed to preserve that length while cleaning up the overall shape. She then trimmed the ends to the length I wanted, washed my hair, took another careful look at it, cut the rest, and finished with a blow dry so she could see exactly how it naturally lies. I look like Jules Y. again! LOL Now I have bangs again, my haircut is even and balanced, and my hair finally looks polished instead of like the DIY haircut I'd been trying to live with for the past year. My hair frames my face much more naturally now, the ends are clean and even, and everything blends together the way I like it. My haircut was $65. There is a $2 fee if you pay by credit card. Parking was easy, with six free stalls right in front of the salon. The salon itself isn't fancy, but it's clean, comfortable, and more than good enough. As you face the inside of the salon, the restroom is on the left in the back, where you'll also find complimentary water and snacks. Min Hee is the salon's full-time hairstylist and also provides nail services. There are two additional hairstylists who work part-time on their own schedules. Everyone I interacted with was pleasant, courteous, and genuinely helpful. They all seem to know who their customers are, so you won't get asked, "Why are you wanting to use our restroom?" That may sound like a small thing, but it contributes to the welcoming atmosphere from the moment you walk in. Thank you, Min Hee, for giving me such a great haircut and a wonderful experience. I'm very happy to have found your salon on the very day I decided it was finally time to have my hair professionally cut.

I've been coming here for over 10 years and it's really gone downhill in quality and service. Will…read morenot come again. 1) the front desk girl with bleached blonde hair is rude. I asked her when we were going to begin as we'd been waiting for 20 mins and she immediately got defensive. I responded back that all she had to do was let me know when they were planning to start rather than staring at her phone the ENTIRE time and not acknowledging at all that 3 people were waiting (my group). Not kidding, she stared at her phone looking at social media the whole time without acknowledging time. 2) there is barely any ventilation in here. It smells really strongly of polish and is terrible for you. Of course a nail salon will smell like polish, but here it's particularly bad as there's no ventilation (or hardly) 3) we had 3 pedicures where 1 was the normal $29 one and two were supposed to be the $42 one. They ended up charging us $60 rather than $42 saying they misheard and did extra massage service. I told them we'd ask for two of the same $42 ones. I was irritated at this point and just paid for the service and left. If you go here, be warned the service from that particular front desk girl is bad, the ventilation is lacking and the fumes here are carcinogenic, and be careful about your charges.

Need eyebrow help? Are you scared of trusting people with…read moreyour sacred eyebrows? Look no further, SHOKO got your brows! I have been going to Shoko for my eye brows for a couple years now, and always recommend her to friends and family for many reasons. I have gotten my eyebrows done by others *ahem* that didn't know what the heck they were doing. I literally have walked out with 4 eye brows instead of 2 because they burned and pulled my skin off with the wax. Shoko has never gave me more eye brows that I wanted. Shoko makes me feel comfortable with all the options I could do with my eye brows. Eye brows are so important, it could make or break your face. Shoko always succeeds at making me look as natural as possible, which is the style I like. She even allowed me to bring my child with me because I don't have any child care help currently. That means the world to me as a new mom.

I've gotten lamination services done for many years, all over the world and Shoko by far blew away…read moremy expectations!! She took her time, payed attention to detail, informed me on her products before hand, asked me health related questions to insure my safety, guided me through the waxing , and made sure I was happy before getting up. I left feeling super relaxed and so confident about how good my eyelashes and brows turned out!! I will be flying from Maui to Oahu just to see Shoko!

Erika is truly the best! She takes the time to make everything look great! I really am blessed to…read morehave found her!

Erika is the ONLY person I trust with my brows and blooms. She asked me exactly what I wanted in…read moreterms of brow shape and never took too much off. Her vibe is warm and welcoming and she is the best at what she doesn't. Period. Erika was the first person to introduce me to "sugaring" which is a much more enjoyable form of hair removal in my opinion and when my hair does grown back, it's not ass itchy or uncomfortable compared to traditional hard wax in my experience. Mahalo Erika !

If you're looking for someone who truly cares about her clients and takes pride in her work,…read moreCandace is the one to go to. She has done amazing things for my complexion and lashes, and honestly, she has made me feel so much prettier and more confident. What makes her special is that she doesn't just provide a service, she really takes the time to understand what you want and explain everything she's doing along the way. Candace is incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and very detail-oriented. She's meticulous with her work and makes sure every little detail is perfect before you leave. I also appreciate that she stays up to date with the latest trends while still choosing products that are healthy and safe for your skin. Whether you're new to beauty treatments or already familiar with them, Candace will make you feel comfortable, confident, and glowing when you walk out the door. I highly recommend her!

I was gifted an amazing facial and lash lift with Candace! She was gentle but thorough and took her…read moretime to make sure I was comfortable and explained every step as she went along . All the products she used smelled and felt amazing. I cannot recommend her enough! Book an appointment for yourself or a friend and be just as amazed as I was! The studio is beautiful , the parking is free and the location is super easy to find. Will definitely be back!

First ... the ladies are extremely sweet. Even if they are trying to upsell you the entire time…read moreyou're in a chair. Very friendly. Very chatty. Very excited to digest extra stuff ... without telling you it'll be extra. "Oh...can I put a flower on one of your nails?" Both ring fingers done ... $25 extra on the tab when checking out. That was by wife. I was talked into a foot rub. As my feet soaked, the sweet woman bright a pedicure tray over. I had to deny three offers to just let her clip my already short nails. Then she proceeded to give a foot rub which consisted of running her thumbs and forefingers along my lower leg bones for 30 minutes. She also gave me a run down on her family and asked multiple questions about how long I was staying and where and what I did for a living. My entire mission while in that chair was to not cry or flinch. When she was done, I felt comfortable concluding she had not one single day of training in massage therapy. My bill was $60. My wife's was $42 for gel plus $25 for two flowers. All in all, we left laughing (and limping), but $150 lighter than when we went in.

This nail shop happen to be by my hotel, and I didn't feel like searching too far…read more Convenient , yes. Cost, was pricey, I only had a pedicure and it was $72 The manicure is kept trying to add more on asking me if I wanted flowers, which I did not then he suggested that I needed to have paraffin which I did not want. He wanted me to have a longer foot massage. Everything had a cost. I originally just wanted a plain pedicure at $58. At the end, he did a good job I guess that's the cost you pay for convenient and to be right on the beach front.

My friend had her eyebrows done by Tina when she was just starting her business. She raved about…read morehow much she loved Tina's work. I was a bit skeptical for a few years, but eventually, I decided to that I was tired of having to do my eyebrows before starting my day (haha!). It's located across of Kahala Mall in the Kahala Professional Building on Kilauea Ave. There's a small parking area of only 4 stalls for visitors. However, there's a lot of street parking and possibly free parking at Kahala Mall. I first came to her in early 2024. Before making my appointment, I had a look at her Instagram and website. Since this was my first time getting my brows done, I had many questions. Tina was incredibly sweet and answered all my questions. She helped me feel more comfortable and made the whole process very easy and smooth. The initial appointment was slightly longer than the touch-up appointments because we carefully discussed the type of brows that would complement my face structure and my preferences. I trusted Tina to work her magic as I was unfamiliar with the process, and I'm so glad I did! My brows turned out beautifully, and I was absolutely in love with the result. They truly enhanced the natural beauty of my facial features. I came back for 2 touch up appointments within the next 2.5 years and each time I came back, I fall in love with my brows all over again. I've been trying to refer family and friends to Tina as she is a fantastic brow artist! She also specializes in lash enhancements including liner tattoo and lash perm. Congratulations to Tina for rebranding her studio from Brows by Tina to Restore Studio with an additional service of restorative, paramedical tattoo! I can't wait to have my brows touched up again in the next few years.

I had my brows done by Tina, and this was my very first time ever having anyone touch my brows--let…read morealone tattoo them. As a woman over 60, I was nervous because I've seen brow tattoos that look very dramatic, and I wanted something natural that would simply fill in the areas where I've lost hair over time. Tina was absolutely amazing. She explained the entire process step by step, checked in often about my comfort level, and made sure I felt at ease the whole time. She matched my brow color perfectly and really listened to what I wanted. The results look natural and exactly what I hoped for. She also explained what to expect after the procedure, how to care for my brows, and even followed up with me by text to make sure everything was healing well. I'm looking forward to going back for my touch-up and highly recommend Tina--especially if you're looking for natural-looking brows and a provider who truly cares.