MaxiLash Boutique

Could not recommend Karen more. Not only does she provide fantastic service, but she made the whole…read moreexperience so comforting and easy. As a first-timer, I didn't know what to expect, and she could not have made the experience easier. From the minute i walked in, I felt like I had known her forever and the process was seamless. Highly recommend. Could not say enough good things.

When I first wanted to go get a Brazilian, I was coming in there with a lot of trauma and I was…read morereally worried about how this was going to go. The word on the street was that Karen Golden was the person you went to if you were coming into this from a place of trauma and the street wasn't kidding. If you're kind of a hot mess, you won't find a more compassionate person. She's not judgy, she's not unkind, and she makes the process of ripping your pubic hair out of your body as not-awful as it possibly could be. The room is clean and smells nice. Her assistant Lara is also as kind as can be. She takes cash or checks and everyone is understanding if you don't come by on the regular or have to cancel at the last minute (I disappear for months at a time: my income ain't what it used to be) but if you can only go to one place for the rest of your life for waxing, this is where you should go. She's the best.

If it is a relaxing facial you seek, the tranquil environment will ensure the best experience.

Karen Golden Skin Care - Committed to an azulene-based wax for all services, this approach soothes and calms sensitive skin and provides a quick, painless experience

Committed to an azulene-based wax for all services, this approach soothes and calms sensitive skin and provides a quick, painless experience

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When it comes to affordable waxing and outstanding skin care services, Karen Golden Skin Care can't be beat.

Allston Nails

3.2(165 reviews)

0.5 mi•Allston/Brighton

Sad to write this because the ladies working were sweet. However, I called before I went and the…read morewoman who answered the phone barely let me get a word in edgewise, causing there to be a considerable price difference for the service requested. She wasn't even very pleasant about the mix up. From that point, the experience improved, but this is definitely something I would want to be forewarned about.

I've been getting my nails done for about 20 years and this is my favorite spot. I get acrylics…read morewith gel and gel pedis, often do add-ons like designs or extra massage, and they always do a great job. They're very nice, good prices, and I trust their judgement more than my own when it comes to things like when to get a new set.

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Monica's Hair Salon

4.4(48 reviews)

0.6 mi•Allston/Brighton

•$

Runnnnnnn omfg run, so bad, worst hair cut I got my entire life for 40 bucks, please don't come…read morehere, dude don't know how to cut hair, he just shaved my head when I asked for a fade, dude's hands were shaking when he was using the shavers

Ok now so like 15 years living in Boston and I'm still coming here. Monica is seriously my favorite…read moreperson and I'm privileged to be her friend. As such, I'm forever a loyal client. If I get my face waxed somewhere else (when she's on vacation), it's always a meh wax. If I get my hair cut somewhere else (if I'm too impulsive and go somewhere closer to where I live) , it's meh and overpriced. So I continue to come. My son also loves her and only wants her to cut his hair. Here are some hair transformations I've had within the last 2 years. The most recent was today - pink, purple, blue. Monica is patient with my crazy ideas especially since I can't make up my mind. But my hair always looks amazing. I have never gotten so many compliments on my hair until I've started to go crazy with the colors!!! Her prices for everything are more than reasonable. You won't go wrong with this lovely person!! Love you Monica!!!

Blue, purple, pink (blue made pink more purple so looks like 2 shades of purple

Purple highlights

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Pink and red

Holiday Clean Beauty Spa

4.8(22 reviews)

First time coming here after it being recommended and it definitely did not disappoint. The staff…read moreare all very friendly, knowledgeable, and explain the process really clearly which I appreciated. Having spent many visits at other health & spa places trying to find a good place on the cheap, I gave up wasting my money on subpar services. If you're looking for an overall excellent experience, I can wholeheartedly say you absolutely get what you are paying for at Holiday

Great atmosphere. Heated bed like the ones you'd lay on for a massage. Relaxing music and smells…read moregreat. Knowledgeable staff gave great advice too. Worth the money! Highly recommend!

Meet Catherine, founder + esthetician

Hard and soft wax brazilians

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Crystal treatments

Luiz Hair Salon

4.4(163 reviews)

0.6 mi•Allston/Brighton

•$

I came here as a college student looking for a great hair cut that wouldn't break the bank and got…read moreexactly that. I've been seeing Oscar now for the past year and a half and I have never gotten a bad hair cut from him. I come ready with a pic of what I want each time and he always gets it right. The rest of the staff are very friendly too and always happy to chat!

Love it here !! Oscar is genuinely an artist with hair :) I went in for a consultation on Tuesday…read moreand got my hair done on Saturday. In general, booking an appointment with them is very flexible and I was able to walk in for the consultation. I really appreciate the time and effort they took with making sure I got what I wanted while they also explained what they recommended and why. Overall I'm incredibly happy with them :D obviously I recommend this place to everyone. I attached photos of the before and after.

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Zena Salon

3.8(105 reviews)

0.5 mi•Allston/Brighton

Went here for my first haircut after COVID shutdowns. I was slightly nervous about this but the…read morewhole process put me at ease. Douja is the only stylist that works here, services are appointment-only and appointments are scheduled with disinfecting time in between, so she and I were the only ones in the shop, and she could do her work just as well with both of us masked. The haircut itself was great -- I used to go to Douja when she was at Sublime Salon in Cambridge and I instantly remembered why. I'm a guy so I don't have the language to tell someone exactly what to do. With Douja I can just tell her how long I want it, maybe tell her about some terrible haircuts I've had while she works, and she's competent enough to handle the rest. Douja herself is also awesome -- she'll tell you exactly what she thinks and wants you to do the same. *Note that this is a new salon Douja started in 2020, so other staff from Sublime, gift cards, etc. are likely different. Yelp may just be erroneously combining new and old business reviews.

Zena Salon is without a doubt the BEST hair salon I have ever been to. Douja is an incredible…read morehairstylist and has does wonders to my hair. I have done single process, partial highlights, full highlights, and hair cuts with her. She has done a perfect job each and every time. I would highly recommend her to anyone! Her prices are more than fair and her work product is priceless. Further, she is efficient with her time without sacrificing the end result. I greatly appreciate that I am not sitting in the chair for an unnecessary amount of time which is what happens at most other salons. And for the time I am sitting in the chair, she is great conversation! Not only does she do amazing work, she cultivates a safe space through her radiant and kind personality. I am so lucky to have been referred to her by a friend and I hope to have her do my hair forever! I have curly dark brown hair and she has safely got me to the blonde shade I desire. Her highlights add so much dimension to my hair and I feel so confident after she does my hair. My hair is so healthy and she is very knowledgeable on how to safely bleach hair, especially curly hair. Douja is so talented and everyone should get their hair done by her!!

Highlights/lowlights & cut 2/2

Balayage by Zena Salon. Book your appointment today.

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Duja using safe practice for cutting hair.

Hands & Heels Boutique

4.2(270 reviews)

0.6 mi

Certified professionals

Walk-ins welcome

I think initially I was very happy. Then my chrome started to fade so I went back the next day to…read moreget it redone and they were super sweet about it. Two days later it started to come off so I wouldn't go back.... Pretty disappointing . I feel like for the price and the fact it's peeling already speaks volumes. I worked with two different aestheticians who I won't mention because I don't want them to be affected but it's pretty upsetting to pay so much for this quality. The lady that redid it did a great job but I don't know why it's already fading at the tips.

I have been coming to Hands & Heels for over a year now, and they are consistently fantastic…read more Everyone in there is so nice, and they will always do their best to accommodate you, but I do recommend making an appointment. I've had a couple of techs do my nails by my girl Banana always does an amazing job!

Nail design

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Nail design

Stavroula Skin Care

4.7(45 reviews)

Hello, so this post may be TMI - so if you aren't into that, keep scrolling and just look at the 5…read morestars ~ I am a light skinned black women w/ very coarse curly hair. My private area hairs HATE being waxed. I always end up getting ingrown hairs after a wax. I have had nothing but issues with waxing, even after visiting European Wax Center. Once upon a time I lived in Atlanta and would get waxes from Andreas, but I no longer live there. STRAVROULA, the waxer, was the absolute best. She works in the basement of a hair salon, but the wax room is clean and tidy. I told her I don't usually wax because of getting ingrown hairs. I was only getting a bikini wax, so she gave me a pair of disposable underwear. I thought that was great and professional. I told her I wanted to try the Sugar wax, as I had read about it, and wanted to try it out. She tried the sugar wax on me and the sensitive skin wax on me. She would use the different waxes for different parts of my skin. She payed attention to me, engaged in conversation and the wax did not hurt as much as I thought. The pain level was about the same with other waxes that I have had. After the wax, my skin was very bumpy and red, but within the next few hours that went away. I wanted to write a review the day I got the wax, but decided to wait because my issues usually pop up AFTER the wax with ingrown hairs, but I can say 1 week later, my extended bikini line is still bump free. I will ONLY be going to STRAVOULA and actually look forward to getting another before my next vacation. Side bar: I always HATE how people who wax you, tell you to come more often to reduce the pain and the amount of hair and I really think that is a myth and a way for the shop to make more money. At European Wax Center they always try and make you buy a package to save $X.00 over time and they wax you so fast, there is no personal touch. I feel that they only care about profits. I felt that Stravoula actually cared about my skin and wanted me to have a great experience. I do not hate EWC, but they are both near eachother and one is franchise, while the other is a small business owner who has been doing this sort of work for 20+ years. Good luck hairy gals!

I go to Stavroula regularly for spray tans, and she is the best of the best!! Professional, kind,…read moreand does an outstanding job every time. Highly recommend!!

Weddings Makeup Up Do

Spa finder gift cards

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Natural Microdermabrasion

The Beauty Studio

4.7(114 reviews)

0.8 mi•Coolidge Corner

I cannot say enough good things about The Beauty Studio and Shruti. I've been going to her since…read moreshe was in Newton, and followed her here to her Brookline studio and she is incredible. She just gets it! Never have to tell her twice the way I like my brows and she keeps them thick and perfect. Honestly, any and everyone that works there is amazing, for brows and lash lifts! Highly recommend!

I was new to threading. It was expertly done by a very helpful and pleasant staff inc a clean and…read morewelcoming space.

Great experience with Shruti!

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European Wax Center

3.7(135 reviews)

I had eyebrows, upper and lower lip, and chin done last Sunday. The technician had a nice demeanor,…read morebut her technique left me with sores (that soon turned into scabs) on my lower lip and eyebrow area. Instead of using a single swift pull, this technician (Sheila) used a series of small pulls, which I believe led to the sores. But I'm not sure about that. What I can say is that I'm in my mid-50s, have been waxing for decades, and have never been left with sores/scabs. So this issue is distinct to this visit to EWC in Brookline, MA (and I've been to several others in the area). Additionally troubling is that I wrote a note to EWC stating the above to no avail, even offering to send them photos that I'd taken. Not only did no one contact me, I know they received my complaint because I got a follow-up survey inquiring as to my satisfaction regarding the efficacy of their follow-up. Incredible! You can't make this stuff up. I've even checked Junk, thinking "surely not, surely *someone* would have written back; maybe it went into the Spam folder." Nope. Non. Nada. Anyway, the woman at the front desk was lovely, friendly, chatty, and very welcoming. Despite that, unless I want more scabs, returning to this EWC seems unwise and so I won't.

Serviceable if you need a wax on short notice and you live nearby. However, they're very fast, they…read moredon't really ease you into the process. It felt so rushed. And there were bits of wax and unattended hairs left on my body. Just go to an independent aesthetician for a better experience, I'm never coming back here.