Michael is the best make-up artist ever. He was doing the…read moremake-up on my wedding day and it was the best decision ever made. First of all, he is super talented and will make sure that everything is perfect!!! He is an easy going, super kind person and have a great sense of humor. Second, I have never seen such a patient person as Michael. In the most important day of my life he was a great listener. He was trying to calm me down since I was so stressed and so upset at my hair stylist. Michael is truly a great artist and will do a great job for you.

michael patterson is a god!!!! we have used him several times for photo shoots and events and he is…read moretruly a 1 in a million artist... talented , professional and a total joy to work with...100 stars!!!!!!

Normand is a fabulous stylist. My hair is not curly enough and dry and thinning in some places Andy…read morethick in others but he managed to make my hair lol ok amazing. I haven't been there for years because I moved away. You never forget someone who does a great job in your hair. Plus he's a wonderful person

Normand is the best stylist ever. I have been his client for 4 years. I never received compliments…read moreon my hair until he started styling my hair. He always does something a little different each time I see him. My hair holds its style even as it grows out. I have coarse difficult to style hair. Normand makes it a breeze. Thanks Normand!

Andy Tran, of Essor, is the Greatest -- the Muhammad Ali of hair stylists. He has been pampering,…read morecutting and coloring my hair for at least eight years. He always makes me feel and look special, beautiful and young. I trust him so very much that I can say, Andy, please, do something different. He has and he will, and I always love it. He IS the Greatest!

As a Professional in the Beauty Industry: Makeup Artist 18yrs, Esthetician 4yrs. It's rare when you…read moreencounter a genuine persona that not only has the skill in their craft but the heart that encompasses true creativity. Roy is that Artist. With a sparkle in his eyes as he greats you, to an endearing welcoming smile to match. His gentlemanly demeanor and bubble tone in his voice gives you an instant ease to your encounter with him. When we worked together years ago, I admired his continuous connection to every person he interacted with. His drive to learn something new in his craft and solid execution in that, built him a strong rapport with his clients. He is an asset to any company that values, supports and motivates their employees to be their best! Yelpers!! If your looking for Quality vs Quantity in your Hairstylist (Which clearly you are in reading this!) Roy is THE Guy.

My wife has been going to Roy for several years and she always comes home with fun hair colors…read more Back in the "before times" when we were getting ready to go a music festival, I decided it was my turn to get some color. Or I guess I should say no color since I wanted it to be platinum. The wife sent me to Roy, who had already consulted with her about what to do to my hair. The color was just what I wanted and wifey approved as well, noting that it wasn't at all brassy, which to my understanding is very important when you have blonde hair. She'd also asked him to cut my hair. As someone who usually just goes to a barber, I was surprised that after my haircut, I actually looked like I had MORE hair than before. Roy must have some kinda magical powers to be able to disguise my head as having full coverage. Anyway, he did a great job and was very pleasant. I highly recommend his services.

Paul and Eric are fantastic at their craft. This high-value salon will provide great coloring…read moreoptions and current cuts. We laugh and enjoy our hour of luxury with two of the funniest guys in town.

Have been going for 5+ years after trying numerous salons throughout the East Bay…read more If you want consistent care, always accomodating to meet your schedule, accurate work, stimulating conversation and tons of intellectual conversation- its just good fun. I go there for the company just as much as the cut. They are good people and a strong team representing their profession.

You will be thrilled. Chaz is an amazing hair designer you…read morenever have to worry about how your hair looks after you've had your haircut by chance

Chaz is awesome! We have lots of mutual friends and I met Chaz at a party. I had just moved into…read morethe area, and our mutual friends suggested I try out Chaz to do my hair. In advance, Chaz checked out pictures of my previous hair colors and styles and was prepared to work with my hair when I arrived. Long story short, my hair is silky and shiny and the color is great!

I went for a wedding make-up consultation at Maggie's apartment. By the way, she is very sweet and…read morecute. Overall I liked the way my make-up turned out. However, I wasn't completely satisfied to book Maggie for my wedding. First of all, I thought she was a little bit sloppy on the fake eye lashes (note I'm a bit of a perfectionist), but they were a bit uneven. Secondly, I pointed out a blemish I had on my jawline. Maggie didn't try to conceal it as her philosophy is that good skin care is your primer. Well thats fine, but what if, god forbid, I happen to get a big pimple on my wedding day! I need some security that she would be able to cover it and cover it up well! And lastly, she doesn't use primer, so by the end of the night, I could see where the pores on my face were because the oil was breaking through the make-up like a geyser through the ground. Icks gross! So, I would go to Maggie for a special event, but just not my wedding.

I have to admit that when it came to my wedding I was only worried about two major things - my hair…read moreand make-up. Selfish, I know, but after meeting with Maggie for a trial I knew she was the perfect fit. I tend to wear a lot of eye make-up but on my wedding day I wanted the perfect blend of clean on the face and dramatic on the eyes. She exceeded my very high expectations. I also have three sisters where only one of them got their make-up done. The two sisters who did not get it done by Maggie were jealous all day. Next time I need make-up I am calling Maggie. You will not be disappointed. I swear!

Jim was very good! I had a wonderful trial with him at his house in SF where we sipped tea and…read morechatted. He came to our hotel at 7:30 and by noon had done hair and make-up for the mothers, 4 bridesmaids, me, helped me get into my dress, and done a little something for the flowergirl and jr. bridesmaid. His calm and self assuredness was exactly what we needed on our wedding day. He was very professional (even as drama was occurring around him) best of all, he kept to a tight schedule so we were all ready to go when the photographers got there. He did not do my hair and makeup the same as my trial and didn't discuss the changes with me. Everyone agreed that the half-up he did was even better than the all-up trial, but my hair doesn't hold curl and by the ceremony, the part that was down was straight and after the first dance, it was hot and uncomfortable and I had to put it up. He also didn't use the same make-up as the trial and I'm not sure how it held up since I didn't keep looking in the mirror all night but just trusted it. Follow up: Some of my photos show the red marks on my face. My normal make-up covers better than that. I'm glad my photographers do touch ups! He has everyone come in their normal hair and make-up so he knows where they're starting point is so they still look like themselves but I know that at least one of my maids would have really liked to have more input into her style. I first met him at a bridal fair and he talked all about putting hair up so it looks nice and doesn't get in your way and then he styled all of us with our hair down. My mom loved him, he made her feel like a queen and really brightened her up and made her look great. I think Jim was her favorite vendor in a very crowded field. Jim is also VERY expensive. I paid $1750 including $250 for him to travel to Santa Clara but having someone I could really trust for hair and makeup was REALLY important to me (and that included my trial and 5+me on the day of...AT the hotel). I also needed someone to tell me what would look good, I'm no good with picking hairstyles from magazines that will be flattering and work on me. If I had it to do all over again though, I may have looked at some of the cheaper options who still have really great reviews.

Everyone should spend a few hours with Jim on a regular basis. The best way to reach him is by…read moretelephone (415) 244-4365. He is very gifted and a LOT of fun, to boot. A friend of mine recommended Jim to me. She said he could go through my closet with me, help determine what to keep and what to donate. She promised I would be thrilled with the ways he would put together items of clothing I already have in ways I would never have imagined. She said that the many new outfits I would have from this process with Jim would more than offset what he charged for his time and expertise. That sounded too good to be true and a bit lavish for me, but my friend has beautiful, artistic taste and also understands what a budget is, so I finally found time in my packed schedule to make an appointment with Jim. She was RIGHT. Jim came to my house and had me try on lots of my things for him. He quickly and efficiently went through my clothing collection and evaluated what was currently flattering to me and what was not. In two or three hours we had reorganized my closet, had a big pile of items to donate and I had at least 5 or 6 new very flattering outfits without going shopping! I can now find things in my closet very easily. In just these few hours Jim also showed me an easy, pretty way to do my hair, suggested jewelry combinations, and suggested make-up tips for every day and special occasions. He is kind of amazing. Later, I had a big trip coming up and remembered Jim said he helps people pack sometimes. At first that sounded silly to me. I've travelled a fair bit and I am perfectly able to pack my own suitcase. However, as the trip approached, I was running out of time and realized this trip had complicated demands, lots of clothing styles would be required (professional, beachy, formal,semi-formal, touring, hiking) and for a range of weather. So, I called Jim in for a couple of hours. Oh, ho, ho. Again, it was money well-spent. I felt I looked very pulled together (honestly, I felt chic much of the time thanks to Jim!) from casual to formal, from warm to cold weather without over-packing and without buying anything new except some sandals. And...before he left that day we rearranged my bedroom furniture so that now my bedroom looks and works much better! Did I mention he is multi-talented? I highly recommend Jim Avila, especially to busy people. He will save you time and money in the long run, you will look terrific, and you will have fun doing it.