I had the most enriching fragrance-blending class experience at Scents By the Bay! The moment I…read morewalk-in, Tarah and Kiki made me feel at home. They were super friendly, highly knowledgable, & answered all my questions. Their passion & positive vibes were contagious. Being a fragrance lover who blends scents at home, I appreciated the clear, beautifully crafted guidance. The class balanced simplicity for beginners with deep educational insights. On top of that, their fragrance selection was unbelievable--literally a library of scents! They had over 700 options, from designer oils to pure essential and aromatherapy scents. As someone who's taken other classes with fairly small options, having such an eclectic, rare selection to choose from was next level. This was a perfect act of self-care after a busy weekend, and I left with new knowledge, a beautiful custom fragrance, and immense joy. This truly was a one-of-a-kind experience. Highly recommend! I love supporting local businesses and see myself being a frequent customer--probably will pop-in once or twice a month! I am excited to bring friends here for birthdays and special occasions. Already, planning to bring my husband for a date--so we can create a fragrance together! I'm just thrilled that something like this exists right here in the East Bay. This experience was a gem, and I can't wait to return again and again!

What a gem , we were eating next door and ran across this place…read more The cashier did an amazing job on explaining everything and how it works. I will be returning.

Came in with my mom who seen this place and wanted to look around and we were NOT disappointed!! We…read morewere able to find traditional herbs that we've been looking for, for a long time and were treated very well. The owner was very knowledgeable about different ways to utilize the herbs and all the herbs we inquired about!! We will definitely be back! Our new favorite go to place!!

I had a lovely experience here…read more Did nit know what i was coming for but wanted to explore the shop. The owner was very kind and welcoming. You can sign up for classes for late spring 2024 through their website. The owner has many teas and can help guide you for a possibly remedy (if you are experiencing parasites for example after a trip overseas) or something as simple as needing to boost your immune system to avoid being sick. He can also offer teas that help you retain supplements you take and if you are experiencing depression he will offer a 30min consultation for $45 prior to determining what herbs to prescribe you and to make sure they don't have a negative effect on medicine you might already be taking. *your teas have to seep 15 min prior to having them. He also makes a great lip balm and a lovely facial serum. Two tea sachets and one face serum cost me $70. I will definitely keep him in mind for future needs.

Gabrielle helped us so much and had so much patience. 10/10 service, 10/10 cleanliness. Would…read moredefinitely come back

I've been having allergy issues with lip products from big name brands (e.g., Lancome, Clarins,…read moreIlia) and found that they all contain red lake dyes such as CI 15850, etc. A big problem is that almost all lip tints use synthetic, red lake dyes for red and pink colors. After an extensive search, I found 100% Pure offers multiple shades of deep to bright red, purple-red, and light pink in lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip glazes! Most other brands can only offer red lake dye-free products in nude or clear colors. I was beyond stoked! And I found out that they were having a really great summer sale--items were 30%, 40%, or 50% off based on my receipt! One of my favorite things about this brand is that instead of products that taste like plastic, wax, or some other unknown substance, all my products actually taste like fruit, which is great given that they advertise being made of fruit juices and natural oils! The shelf life of their products is, of course, significantly less than other products that have preservatives, but honestly, I'd rather have cleaner ingredients and a shorter shelf-life. The store in-person had all the items that were out of stock online, too, which made my shopping experience that much better. I picked up a total of 7 lip products all in different shades and textures, which no other brand was able to offer me in that quantity for that quality. -- Additional things to note: - the store seems very hygienic: they have a sink where you can wash your hands, offer clean brushes and new, disposable lip product wands so you can try everything without using the wand in the tube, alcohol sprays, sanitizing sprays, tissues, etc. - the items that weren't fully red lake dye-free said "may contain", which doesn't necessarily mean they fully use it, but I didn't want to risk a reaction, so I steered clear of them anyway. - they have samples of everything--you can play around with literally every product and every shade! - dog-friendly (they even give treats!) - the location of the store is in a somewhat busy area, but if you scour the blocks, you're likely to find parking (pay by ParkMobile). I found a spot right in front of the store, and parallel parking was so easy into this spot because the road wasn't super busy. - they offer services, such as facials - the worker (I should have got her name) is so kind and won't push products on to you or make you feel rushed. I was in the store for a good 45 minutes at least, and she checked in once in a while, made herself available, but wasn't pushy or frustrated with how much time I took or how many products I sampled. -- I tried the Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick in Winecup, Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Elderberry, and the Fruit Pigments Lip Gloss in Pomegranate Wine, and none of them gave me an allergic reaction all day when I usually get a reaction within 30 minutes from other brands. Thank you, 100% Pure!

Many thanks to Michele at Bluemercury in Berkeley for taking good care of me and my skincare! She…read morewas very generous with sharing her skincare expertise. I left the shop glowing. Lydia C

stopped in to buy product in person rather than online, thinking that i could test the colors in…read moreperson, buy from a smaller retailer, etc. I had a short list of items I wanted to buy. One sales person was rather pushy, asking me way too many questions from the moment I entered the store. I wanted to look around at everything and take it all in, but she made me want to grab what I came in for and run. She complimented my eyes, then followed up with a sales pitch for an eye product. It was gross. You have to go through an employee to get your products, so I gave her my order only to find that when I got home 2 of the products were completely wrong (I asked for a highlighter but got a blush). Now I have to drive all the way back (about 30 min from home) pay for parking and enter that lion's den again. Not looking forward to it.

A beautiful shop. Interesting unique items, especially the jewelery. Dana is a lovely person. My…read morefavorite shop to go for gifts for my wife and daughter. Love it!

What a charming store. Nicely merchandised, and well done on the curated selection of goods. Very…read morepretty jewelry but what really caught my eye was the selection of French hair accessories. It is so hard to find the nice barrettes from France. Dana, the owner is wonderful. I will absolutely be a repeat customer!

Looking back, I'm disappointed I didn't get the name of the salesperson who helped me; she truly…read moremade the experience. I stopped in because I'm running low on my usual moisturizer and was planning to restock. I've been loyal to the same one for a while, but I recently fell in love with a different brand's face wash and was considering switching to their moisturizer as well. The only downside? It was significantly more expensive and my partner's immediate reaction was basically, "Expensive = no." Sensing my hesitation, a salesperson came over and offered to help. After I explained what I was looking for, she actually suggested a completely different brand. She gave me a sample to try, and even hours later, my skin still felt moisturized. The best part? It performed just as well (if not better) than the others I was considering and it was cheaper. What made the whole experience even funnier was that another customer nearby had the exact same dilemma. She overheard the recommendation and ended up grabbing the product too. At checkout, they were also giving out additional samples of the brands other products, which was a nice bonus. Overall, a great experience thanks to thoughtful and helpful service. Note: Yes, I've selected not to mention any brands by name.

I'm very disappointed with my recent experience at this Sephora location. I was waiting in line to…read moremake a return, and when I finally reached the front, an employee who was new asked if I was purchasing and whether I'd be paying with credit or cash. I told her I was returning an item and had originally paid with a credit card. She then took me aside with her handheld device and began to help me. Before we could continue, the manager came over and said she couldn't process my return there and that I needed to go back and wait in the regular line at the counter. By that point, the line had already become long and zigzagged again. I had already waited once, and being told to start over felt unfair and incredibly frustrating. I ended up leaving without completing my return. As a customer who had already done my part by waiting in line, I feel I should have been helped next at the counter instead of being sent to the back again because of an internal miscommunication.

I purchased Shea butter but noticed that the container wasn't really full. There were spaces and…read moregaps, unlike other vendors in that area who sell Shea butter. I like her product, but it's best to fill your product container completely to satisfy the customer. Ex: If it's a $4 or $10 container it should be that amount of product in the container.

From the owner: We specialize in creating all natural, handmade products. Free of alcohol, mineral oils and…read moreparabens. Natural, handmade products that are sure to please your senses™.

Noisy music, which just made me want to get out of there. Music is fine, but the volume should be…read morerelaxing. It wasn't.

Subpar service, messy location. Many other Nordstrom and Rack locations have better staff and they…read moretake better care of the inventory. Waiting half an hour for a tailor who is literally 10 feet away from the fitting rooms, checkout always has long lines with slow service. Need a real Nordstrom. Edit: waited an hour to get the tailoring done on one small seam on one item. (Not because of the tailor.) Please do better.

Fernando was really helpful and kind. I've visited twice in recent weeks while I've Shopped Jo…read moreMalone since 2012, I had never shopped in boutique, Fernando made my experience pleasant and made me want to return.

What an amazing shopping experience! My fiancé and I are getting married next month, and are…read moreseeking a signature scent we can each wear, that will layer nicely with the other's. Brian welcomed us in and guided us through a thorough sensory experience. We were able to try all the options we wanted and it was a really fun, celebratory experience! We are still contemplating our options, so haven't secured our perfumes yet, but are so thankful for the wonderful customer experience at this gorgeous brick and mortar!

I had such a wonderful experience at Sephora on 4/26 @5:48pm and really wanted to recognize the…read moreamazing customer service from both the brand reps and the manager. Everyone was so patient, welcoming, and genuinely helpful from start to finish. I'm actually an employee visiting from another state, but I completely forgot my employee number and had to take time trying to look it up. The manager was incredibly understanding and never once made me feel rushed or like I was inconveniencing her, even while she was managing multiple customers at once. She gave me time to find my information, continued helping other clients professionally, and came right back to finish ringing me up with such kindness and patience. On top of that, the brand reps for tarte "citali" & Brand Rep from Bio "Somaly" was amazing helping me find great products and answering all of my questions. After I finally found my employee ID, my daughter decided she wanted to shop for perfume, and the staff continued to help us with the same positive attitude and excellent service. Everyone made the experience feel easy, enjoyable, and welcoming instead of stressful. Great customer service like this really stands out, and this team absolutely deserves recognition!

We've had a lot of experiences with the Sephora on 4th Street in Berkeley and most times we've…read moreexperienced really good customer service from the employees. Not last week. My daughter wanted to exchange a product that was malfunctioning. Instead of spraying like it should, its contents sprayed all over her hands. I had to go to another store first so she went in without me. She talked to the manager and when I got to the store, she was almost in tears because of the way the manager talked to her. She couldn't find her receipt, but she did pay for it. I understand that Sephora probably gets a lot of people stealing things and trying to return them but one can still use good customer service skills and communicate the same thing -- that they can only return it with a receipt. This can be done in a friendly boundaried way. When I came, I also spoke to the manager, who I would say was not very friendly. Maybe she had a bad day? I know being a manager is hard work but her attitude went beyond firm to quite cold and impersonal. It just wasn't the level of service that I normally expect from Sephora. When we did find the receipt, we told her and she told us to go to the register to make the exchange. No, "good, I'm glad it worked out for you, that would've been a bummer if you couldn't find the receipt." She seemed very uninterested in talking to us. I didn't get her name. I am not advocating for special treatment but respectful treatment would have been nice. The representative that did the exchange was very helpful and friendly. I remembered her from another day that I was in the store, a couple of months ago and I really liked her. Her name is Lauren and I hope that management recognizes her for her exemplary customer service skills.