I would give Skin Ovations 10 stars if I could. After reading all the amazing reviews on Yelp I decided to give them a try since I've been long overdue for a facial. I made reservations through their on-line system and was able to secure one with Victoria (the owner) for the next morning. I drove about half an hour to get to her cute little spot and parking was a breeze. Upon entering Victoria greeted me and we got straight to business. The place is clean and relaxing. Their spa bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever been in. We chatted it up and she educated me on my skin and what I can do to prevent future skin problems. I felt like I was talking to a long time friend when I was chatting with her. I also got an eyebrow wax and she did an amazing job. It was painless, quick and she got all the unwanted hair out. By the time she was finished with my facial, I was glowing and my skin felt great! I will definitely return and have already suggested her services to a couple of friends. What more can a girl ask for? Victoria's fabulous and her services are affordable! read more

Victoria was nice enough but I had the most painful Brazilian ever. Usually, the wax is pulled off in a very quick, fluid motion - which might not necessarily be less painful, but at least it gets the pain over with more quickly. Victoria pulled each strip off so slowly it was like each hair was being pulled out individually - I was about ready to yank it out of her hands and show her how to do it! It's the first time I've ever had bleeding from a wax job and she did a terrible job of removing excess wax, so that I was sticky all over after leaving. read more

I had seen a lot of comments about Victoria and decided to try her for my 1st facial since Covid started. She is very knowledgeable, friendly, caring and professional. I loved that she didn't try to sell me products or other services like other places and her goal was just to provide you the service that you purchased. I loved her work and can't wait to go back again. read more

Warning: This is talking about girl stuff... I've been having a hard time finding a good bikini waxer. I used to live in Miami and was very spoiled with a super awesome waxer... then I moved to the east bay. I've had a few different waxers who were okay and then I had a very traumatic experience with the last person and decided to just give up. So my husband has been stuck with a hippy chick in the bedroom :( Well, it turns out I don't like being a hippy chick down there. I bit the bullet and decided to try out another place... enter Skin Ovations. It turned out good! Poor Victoria had her work cut out for her since I get brazillians (no hair down there, at all) and I was sportin the full on "le bush". Well she did great. She tackled the job with the cold wax, hot wax and even a little tweezing. Thank you! My facial was also really nice. She gave me an exfoliation facial. Lots of extractions (owwie) but I needed it. Also, the prices are great!! $45 for all the facials and $35 for a brazillian. Oh yea and they also have this great appointment scheduler online which makes it SUPER EASY to make an appt! UPDATE: Have also tried the microderm and it's cheap too! Yes! read more

This review is based off a couple visits, but 1 session that was in 2 parts. When I came here to prepay a massage and facial session, they closed despite it being within business hours stated on their door so I waited. When she finally reopened the door a half hour later, I told her I wanted to prepay a massage and facial session for my girlfriend's birthday. The lady that sold me the session was a little snooty, but sold me the card. Poor service for the sale which didn't leave me with a good impression -4 stars... Anyway I gave the gift card thing to my girlfriend for her birthday. She tried to sign up online, but had issues because there wasn't a way to schedule the package on the same day so she called to make the appointment, no problems. She started with the facial which she really liked and was raving about when she got home. +5 stars. The massage she had she said was mediocre. Nothing special and the lady didn't seem to know what she was doing because she wasn't consistent. She said she's had much better, but it was okay so +2 stars. Overall impression: If you are coming here for yourself and have your appointment scheduled then great. Everyone raves about the facials and so far so good. The massage is mediocre, but is probably "your experience may vary" depending on who gives the massage. If you're coming here to prepay a gift package then I probably wouldn't come back unless I can't think of anything else to give as a gift or you need the extra brownie points for giving a day full of pampering. My experience could have also been because I'm a guy? Not sure, but those were my impressions. Oh yeah, the package was about $110. read more

Ok, sometimes, I'll admit, I'm a bad yelper and don't want to yelp about my super favs, because then everyone will go there... BUT ~ the rumors are true. Victoria at Skin Ovations delivers the BEST facials and waxing ever. It's like she gave me all new skin. She is so accommodating and the crazy part, is I would literally pay double for her service. All of her help has clearly been hand picked by her as I have yet to have a bad experience / outcome / service from any of her staff. These ladies are earnin' it. Check this place out - and don't forget to tip ;) read more

I went out on a limb and checked this place out based on a reveiw I read, that was more than a year ago and I've been coming back ever since. Waxing, Facials, Massages; My sister and I have tried them all. The atmosphere is relaxing, serene, and clean. Victoria is very helpful and comforting, plus she doesn't mind profanity during waxes-What more could you want? I love this place and would recommend it to anyone looking for professional beauty treatments. read more

This place is a total diamond in the rough! I went in today for a facial since I have recently found some less than admirable things on my face... the beginnings of wrinkles, blemishes and uneven skin galore. I was so pleasantly surprised. This place is affordable and they do a GREAT job. I saw Jessica today for microdermabrasion and an enzyme mask and she did such a nice job. Despite what they describe as "a kitten tongue" for the microdermabrasion (which that is one mean kitten because it does not feel like a kitten) everything was great. I booked a second appointment in about a month just before I go on vacation so my skin will be glowing and lovely all over again! read more

Don't get me wrong, Skin Ovations has a very, very nice staff and I found the spa on Yelp after I moved to the area which was a decent find. But I thought I had to write a review because I'm not sure the overall rating is accurate. I've had a massage and a bikini wax. The massage was a GREAT price but you pay for what you get....I could hear the staff talking outside the door during the massage and my therapists cell phone kept vibrating...ugh, NOT relaxing!! My bikini wax was downright painful...I know, I know they ALL are but I've had enough bikini waxes to know with quality wax it can be bearable. Overall it was just not a good wax. I'm sorry to write a bad review but the rating Yelp has listed for Skin Ovations is not accurate. read more

Thank you Jessica for smoothing my face out; thank you Liz for getting that knot out of my back with your deep tissue massages, and thank you Erin, for the magical techniques you applied on my neck which now enables me to turn my head left to right/right to left!!!! Skin Ovations has brought back routine skincare and body care into my life - reasonably priced, no frills, effective and addictive services! Here's my story - When I moved to Northern California in 2006, I had to say good bye to Peaches and Cream Day Spa in So. Cal, which had help me establish a 10+ year skincare/body care routine. Ever since I moved up here, I have been looking for a day spa to replace Peaches and Cream in my life and continue the routine. Although I have probably tried at least 10 places on the East Bay + the Peninsula combined, I couldn't say that I found the "THE PLACE" for me until I came to Skin Ovations. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of very very good places that I would definitely go back (i.e. Burke Williams, the Pleasanton Spa, etc..), but for the "ROUTINE", Skin Ovations is for me. Out of all the places I've tried, this is the only place that offers no-frills but comprehensive, effective and relaxing facials and massages for very reasonable prices that I can actually afford to visit every 3 to 4 weeks. This place doesn't offer all the other added-amenities like sauna, steam room, shower, etc... but the service (I call it the core competency) are great. They also use an on line booking system that truly gives me the convenience to book my appointments whenever I have time. If you care about skincare (preventative measures and preservation measures), you might want to try Skin Ovations - start with their classic facial and let the aesthetician recommend a specialty facial (I do the micro-dermabrasion) on a go-forward basis. And of course, if you are like me that just needs to have knots and bumps removed from your back, shoulders, necks, get a massage every month - I really, truly, highly recommend it. read more

Coming back, once again to sing the praises of Victoria! I never had skin issues until I gave birth to my second child. Now it's a bi-polar mess. Victoria takes care of me. She tells it as it is. Gives great suggestions and never tries to sell you crap you don't need. In fact, she doesn't try to sell you anything. She sends you to other places to get things. She just really cares about skin care and making others feel beautiful all at a reasonable price. LOVE HER! read more

I just had a 90-minute massage with Liz and it was AMAZING. I came in with a bad head cold and I am feeling so much better now although I am probably going to pass out soon. I love the fact that appointments can be made online and its a great experience. Everyone was really nice and I will return. read more

10/17/07 Update! I came back here for a massage yesterday with Natelie and it was absolutely blissful. Natelie was super professional and friendly. She made me feel very comfertable and was very accomodating for my needs. She focused most of her time on my back, where I was carrying a load of stress. After she was done I was floating in the clouds for the rest of the evening. I have officially decided that I will have to make this a more regular thing! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I came to yelp for help finding a place to get an awesome facial, and that's exactly what I got! Upon notice that my Friday appointment with Unique get canceled, and due to my extreme need for a facial, I came to yelp. After reading the reviews, I decided to book my appointment with Victoria, the owner. I have to say upon comparison to the big name spots I've been to, along with the small time spots, this facial experience was by far my best experience yet! Victoria was very friendly and super personable. I could also tell she knew her stuff! She had legit recommendations that she made to tailor my facial to my own personal needs. Ultimately she suggested going with a microdermabrasion and let me try it out this time for no additional charge to see how I like it. Needless to say, my whole experience at this spa was excellent. I love the fact that its close to home too. I definitely will be back again soon! read more

Love this place. Great service, great prices. The people who work here are passionate about their work, and that makes all the difference. Got waxed by Victoria, and it was the best experience I've had to date (as good as it can be). She's super sweet too. Went back and got a massage... HEAVEN. I was very impressed, and the massage def relaxed me and made all my lower back pain disappear for a while. Can't wait to treat myself again. read more

Had my very first facial with Jessica and it was awesome. :) Very relaxing. She told me everything she was doing so I wouldn't be too surprised. Was a little annoyed when the staff didn't greet my friend (who is African American) and me (Filipino) at the door and they kind of looked at us weird until we said hello first... But they warmed up to us eventually and overall we had an awesome experience. Would definitely visit again! :) read more

I called at 9 am and was immediately booked for a 3:30 pm, perfect :) As previous reviewers have noted, there is also a simple online system if you're booking in advance. My Brazilian wax was with Rachel, who is hands down the best aesthetician I've encountered. Brazilian waxes hurt like a mother, period. In my previous experiences with waxing in SF, the process was so uncomfortable and painful that I was LITERALLY seeing stars and practically crying. Enter Rachel :) While she didn't make the Brazilian any less painful (since that is literally impossible), she definitely helped with my comfort level by making me feel totally at ease. It is SO SO important to be relaxed when the waxing strips start coming off, because when you're tense your skin tightens and it makes the pain almost intolerable. She chatted with me about our parents, our siblings, celebrity gossip, college, all with complete confidence and ease. Pain is hugely mental, so Rachel keeping my mind off the process made the entire experience much better. The result was perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better wax. The moral of the story is, Skin Ovations rocks and they've earned themselves another fan! :D PS: the prices here are wayy better than what I paid in the city. I guess that's an advantage of being located in the suburbs :) read more

Rachel does the best Brazilian wax hands down!! I have gone to see her for the last three years and I have no complaints. She is great at making sure you are ok and tries to make it as painless as possible. The price is also very reasonable, $45! Most other places charge around $70. read more

Coming to see Victoria is an obsession at this point. I just finished seeing her for a combo microderm and galvanic facial treatment. Her work is amazing, and she is one incredibly talented, knowledgeable and personable esthetician. This is hands down, the best place in the area. I wouldn't be coming here if it wasn't... read more

I can't go anywhere else anymore!! affordable prices, great staff... Victoria is awesome!!! the massages are such a great deal, i make a day of it... massage, facial, wax.. ahh the life! read more

Skin Ovations=terrific service, reasonable prices. Can't beat that. Victoria's facials are top notch. I've tried the Four Layer Face Lift and the Microdermabrasion. Both were wonderful. I'm looking forward to trying a massage sometime soon. Other pluses: appointments can be booked online, some of the estheticians are available for Sunday appointments, good location with plenty of parking. read more

Came in today for a Brazilian after making an appointment 2 days ago over the phone. When I called, I left a detailed message and received a call back almost immediately. I spoke with Victoria who is the one who took care of my waxing needs. After not having a wax for close to 10 years, I was quite apprehensive about the seemingly new experience. All turned out well! Victoria was professional, personable and skillful. She had me out in exactly 40 minutes. I recommend her and her business to anyone, especially if you're African American. She has an extensive selection of wax, and the perfect one for any hair texture. I'll be back. read more

Rachel Marx is the best esthetician I've ever been to! I've been seeing Rachel for over a year now for facials every 6-8 weeks. She has turned my skin around! When I first started coming to Rachel, I had acne and more fine lines. Now, my acne has mostly cleared and my fine lines are much less significant! I've done some microdermabrasion, light peels, and basic facials with her, and the results are amazing. I get compliments on my skin all the time now! She's also very knowledgeable with skincare and always very thoroughly answers any questions and concerns I have. And even better, she's so great to talk to, I love every visit with her! Rachel's the best! And Skin Ovations in general is a very nice, clean, and comfortable place for facials and waxing. read more

Love it ! Great service, she totally knows what she is doing. Good quality of products and no so pricey as others. It worths what you pay read more

Since moving to Danville, I decided I should try a little leg and bikini area waxing. I am fair skinned and a wimp to boot, but after seeing the place on my way home and reading a couple of the reviews on YELP, I decided to go online and book an appointment. Well, I have been here 2x's now. I have seen Victoria both times. The leg waxing hurts less than the bikini area. I am not super skinny or anything, and Victoria was more than nice and non judgmental. She was gentle and the first leg wax lasted almost a month and I might just keep the razor around for the pits. I love my facialist in Albany, so I am not ready to try a facial here, but next up will be a massage for sure! read more

Victoria at Skin Ovations is simply WONDERFUL! She is completely real, down to earth, friendly, and will make you laugh with her great sense of humor. Plus the prices are AMAZING! One of my friends referred me to Skin Ovations and I am SOOoo happy that I have in turn referred a couple of friends to Skin Ovations already - for waxing, facials, massage. Everyone has had nothing but great things to say! Don't let those brows grow out because you can't afford a wax right now... and don't try to pluck them yourself! We ALL have made that mistake before and we ALL know how that will end...lopsided and sparse! Go to Skin Ovations! Check out Victoria! You'll be SO happy you did! read more

Best facial in a long time, welcoming surroundings, nicest and most professional owner Highly recommend read more

Love the galvanic facial! It tightens the skin and you can see the results right away. Really great menu of services too. Highly recommend!

I just recently went to Skin Ovations for a brazillian wax and it was the best, quickest and cheapest brazillian wax I have ever gotten. Victoria, who is the owner of the business, was very friendly and warm also very personal, which I liked a lot. Very professional but a great sense of humor. Within a few rips she was done! The total cost was $45 for the first time but it was well worth it. I've gone to other places who charge $60-$80 or even more for a poorly done job. I've already recommended this place to a few friends. Love it. read more

I cannot say enough to praise Victoria and the quality of service at Skin Ovations. First, Victoria is down-to-earth, funny, and utterly understanding - all of which are great qualities when someone is pulling wax off your bits (yes, those bits). I really appreciated her ability to make me feel comfortable in one of the most uncomfortable (both physically and emotionally) situations there is. I've gotten Brazilians, eyebrow waxes, and facials, and all were completely comfortable and enjoyable with her. Second, she's really knowledgeable and creative. I have very sensitive skin and she actually special-ordered wax for me, at no extra charge, that she thought would cause less pain and redness. Not only did it work, but after seeing the results (and the joy on my face), she made it available to all the rest of her clients if she thought they could benefit from it. Many places use just hard wax or just soft wax/strip wax, but Victoria uses both and tailors her use of them to your specific hair patterns. Believe me when I say this matters. Finally, all the prices are very affordable and Victoria doesn't care about upselling. In the ten or so times that I've been there, she has only recommended two products, neither of which she sells, and both of which were in response to my asking questions about ingrown hair treatments. There is nothing I hate more than having a spa treatment ruined by someone nattering at me about how I "NEED" this product that "only" costs $199.95 and then giving me a nasty talk about how I don't support small businesses because I don't buy overpriced products from them. Please. I've recommended this place to all my friends and the three who have gone there have had nothing but compliments for the service there. I am proud to recommend it to anyone interested. read more

Don't bother to book an appointment on line because it won't work. I made arrangements hiring a baby sitter that way i can have my facial, but at the time a arrive to the salon it was closed because the employees was having a facial for themselves. So at the end i didn't get my facial and it was a waste of money and time for me. And i even didn't get an apology read more

When your aesthetician is 10 min late to a 30 min appointment, you know something is wrong. When you are told YOU will be charged if you don't WAIT for your service, you never go back. When you are then nagged into staying and told they will "rush" your 30 min service and get you out in 20 min, you tell everyone else to stay away. read more

This was my first facial and so I have no point of reference. I did enjoy the treatment (got the basic facial) and my face felt and looked more fresh than before. I have a few criticisms: 1) having to wait outside until my appointment time (which was at 11 am). why not keep the doors unlocked and let the customer sit inside? 2) during my facial, my esthetician was trying to adjust the steamer and the equipment fell over. this caused a burn to my right forearm. She did apply aloe, apologize, and I realize accidents do happen. However, I was disappointed that there wasn't more safety precautions taken in the first place to prevent something like that from happening. Also, I was not offered any type of discount or service for my experience and I feel this is a big error and not the way to try and keep a customer. The skin on my face looks & feels great. The skin on my arm . . . that's another story. http://i49.tinypic.com/2s17b.jpg read more

I tried this place for the first time for my very first leg wax. All I really have to say about it was that it was just okay- that, and the waxing didn't even work. I had an appointment with Racheal, and she was very nice and everything- but she was 10 minutes late (in which I had to stand out front of the store since they won't let you in if another customer is there, apparently). I am under the impression my leg waxing didn't work because I didn't grow out my leg hairs enough (waited 5 days with no shaving, when apparently you need to wait 7-10 days). I wished someone at the store informed of that fact when I made the phone call for the appointment and was asking questions about how long the hairs need to grow out... Racheal was concerned about this the day of my appointment, of course, but as she started to do the waxing, she informed me that all was well and all my hairs were coming out just fine. Except, they didn't. In fact, you could visibly see my hairs all over my legs as I walked out to my car in the sun. I can also feel all of them as I run my hands up my legs and see lots of hairs on my knee caps. I don't know why she would tell me they were all out when it is obvious they really are not. It was a complete waste of $50. After I post this review, I am literally going to go shave my legs... Very disappointing. Will never go back there again. read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Victoria is AWESOME. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to skin care, and how can you possibly resist a $65 microdermabrasion session?!!(including a facial at the end). That is pretty much un-heard of!! Going in for my second session today ;) read more

I completely agree with the other posters here. Rachel Marx is awesome at waxing! I've been seeing her for about 5 months now and she is AMAZING at Brazilian waxing. She uses several different kinds of wax and gets every hair. This is the least painful Brazilian I've ever received. I gave up sugaring for her waxing because she is so good. It's all in the technique and Rachel knows how to make it as painless as possible. Plus, her pricing is right! read more

The facials are great here...and incredibly priced!!! Victoria is so welcoming and knows her skin-care. I look forward to my future appointments! read more

Rachel and Jackie are great. If Victoria isn't available these young ladies will take care of me.

Just got a massage here too! Erin was amazing! I love this place! The prices are great for my college kid budget! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victoria is amazing! It was my first time getting a brazillian and she was super nice and took her time with me. It hurt a little less than what I thought but she made it as comfortable as possible. I'll definitely be going back read more

The waxing went alright but Victoria was rude and didn't engage in minor small talk such as "how are you planning to spend the holidays?" or "How are you doing?" just simple one word answers and did not return the small talk. Not coming back but, the waxing was ok so in a pinch i would consider it a last resort. read more

Even though my massage with Amanda was terrific, I'm giving the overall rating low because of my esthetician experience. I had an eyelash tint that didn't take...I saw it right away and mentioned it, but the esthetician told me for the 3rd time that it worked really well. My eyebrow wax looked fine in the salon, but I noticed when I got home that I needed to do some plucking of my own...I won't go back. read more