Worst salon in the Des Moines area!! Please think twice before going here if you have nice hair…read morebecause they will ruin it! I saw they had some 5 star reviews from years back but I'm pretty sure it was under different ownership back then. When I went the ladies were unprofessional, one of them was highly inappropriate. They took several smoke breaks doing my hair and my friend's hair. It took forever and there was so much hair spray in my hair it took me a week to untangle and I lost allot :( I have also heard they take breaks to go to the bar next door for a quick drink before continuing with their services. Very scary!!

This was such an affirming hair experience I called to make sure they were open and made an…read moreappointment. I talked about what I wanted and what I wanted to feel like (short hair that makes me look gay). The stylist made sure I knew what was happening. After washing my hair, we got started and chatted the whole time. I got a heart on the side of my head and went more adventurous than I had before. I loved it!

The grass is not always greener on the other side when you try to give other small businesses a…read morechance. After a year hiatus, I returned to J Michaels for my eye lash extension care. Sure in the Des Moines Area we have loads of options at premium prices, but do you get top notch quality products from the best technicians? I have allowed numerous businesses to try and top others in facials, nail care, hair, clothing, and eye lash extensions only to have buyers remorse. At J Michaels I have returned for high quality eye lash extensions from Cassie. Here I have no worries on the length, glue, eyelash quality, or time because Cassie is a top notch Eye Lash and Brow Technician who knows her craft and after having her attend to my lashes for over six years I have no worries as I settle into a private room and allow her to work her magic allowing me peace and comfort. Even though they are not experts in my type of hair the techniques I see them applying to the upscale customers are exquisite and chic many walk out looking like a half million dollars. The total aura of the environment is lady chic, clean, and cosmetically sterile with a good venting system and super friendly and very professional customer oriented stylists. Let me not forget the owner (female entrepreneur) who is hands on making sure the establishment stays upscale, chic and price competitive.

I went in to J. Michael's and saw Chelsea. She was so attentive. I saw her for a consultation and a…read moretreatment on two separate occasions before my cut and color appointment to ensure the health and care of my hair, which I was so appreciative of. I cut off 5-6 inches of my hair and added dimensional highlights and color. This was a BIG change for me and she did exactly what I wanted according to our consult and my inspo pictures, while keeping realistic ideas since I started with a very dark base color. The products used at this salon left my hair smelling and feeling good for days after each time I came in. I will be seeing her again!

Yes it's true in my adult life I have never gotten a haircut in a Salon!…read more Yes I have been to many barber shops, and yes it's true I cut my own hair from time to time! But this was a blast! Jaclynn was fantastic and made the experience fun and exciting! She took her time and made sure my cut was exactly what I came for! I got a shampoo and cut for only 37 bucks and it was totally worth it! The music she was playing was right up my alley and her conversation flow made the haircut experience all the better! Axis is super nice and clean! They do cuts, nails, pedi, massage too! Convenient location on Ingersoll and booking was a breeze! Got a reminder text before my appointment too! This was an enjoyable experience!

I came here for a massage and a haircut…read more The massage was excellent. First off, many masseuses are super concerned and careful when you tell them "please just do whatever it takes to get the knots out. You can literally punch me in the back, I assure you." Well, she didn't punch me, far from it. However, she DID do exactly what I asked and put her all into getting the stubborn knots out. This takes some serious pressure, and I felt immensely relieved afterward. Brooke was my stylist and I liked her a lot. She's got a personality that really resonated with me, and I liked her vibe. I came to her with brown hair and left with electric blue. She did a good job and it was a fun day! The only thing I didn't like was whatever dye they use at Axis. Brooke said they do organic, vegan, animal-friendly whatever stuff as much as possible, and I don't recall exactly what brand the dye was...but it faded and transferred more and faster than any other vivid I've ever had, and I've had a lot! Good on them for being ethical, though!

This Salon has had my heart for years! It's simply incredible. Every touch has been thought of and…read moreexpertly executed. Customer service is 10/10! In particular, Mia is the only person I'll ever trust with my brows, and MC is a wizard with a haircut! But truly anyone there will fix you right up and get you out the door feeling like a supermodel! I always adore my appointments there.

Claire did an incredible job with my updo! I was in town for a wedding and booked a styling…read moreappointment. Claire made my vision come true and made me feel very confident in my hairstyle. I also loved that they gave you a glass of prosecco upon arrival! Overall great vibes, service, and quality.

Whether you need a cut or color, Maurice is the one you should schedule your next visit! He always…read moremakes me feel and look beautiful!!

My name is Betty Cooper and I wrote a review earlier about this shop. Look for my name, and read…read morewhat I posted. Well I got a response from Maurice the owner of Transformations and I so appreciated his words. See, my emotions are all over the place, after losing my son recently. I will confess it was probably a better way to response to his response, but you see I am 71 yrs old and there is a limit to what I can do in this tech world. I just wanted to go on the record to say I now feel that Maurice was genuine with his response. It takes a real person to state what he did, the way he did and I appreciate that. In closing, there is far too many negative issues already in this world, here's hoping my feelings were totally wrong here and if so, please forgive me! God Bless. Writing by Betty C. from Des Moines, Iowa not Huntsville, Alabama I don't know how to correct that here, but it is wrong.

Beyond a Stylist: A True Angel on My Wedding Week…read more I cannot say enough about Tina--she went above and beyond in every possible way. Not only did she deliver a gorgeous hairstyle that made me feel beautiful and bridal, but she showed the kind of grace, patience, and kindness that every bride (and any average person) dreams of during such a chaotic time. I was 30 minutes late to our appointment--I was her last visit of the night, and I felt terrible for running behind with all the last-minute wedding errands. But instead of stress or judgment, I was met with total understanding. Her energy was calm, uplifting, and exactly what I needed in that moment. She even stood by my side as I called my tailor about a last-minute issue with my dress, and advocated for me on the phone. That's the kind of heart she has. She didn't have to do any of that, but she did--because that's who she is: thoughtful, supportive, and just an incredible human. Her presence helped ground me in the midst of the chaos, and her work made me feel beautiful. She's not just a hairstylist--she's a calming force, a hype woman, and someone I'd trust a hundred times over.

Black lives and Black Hair Care do matter. Paparazzi is a place you can go for all types of fancy…read morehair styles and treatment. The proprietor is Tina Turner not the legendary Tina, but one just as astute that is in oils, weaves, press, curls and she could even create a fashionable lace wig for your outings. Perhaps the most notable for me would be the soothing wash and hot oil treatment. To hide that touch of grey you might treat yourself to a rinse. After all is said and done, you walk out with a style that you might just be able to keep up. The prices are modest-- with the new COVID procedures you will be asked Questions, temperature check, put on your mask, etc. Sanitation strategies are followed as well as most wearing a mask when they enter. I hate crowds, and stylists who are not time conscious as to my time as it relates to a scheduled appointment--Tina's pretty good at spacing out clients where you do not have to spend all day in the shop. Parking is good with a public parking lot next door. Customers must have a credit card on file and must schedule appointments--gone may be the days of "walk on in, " due to Corona. The environment is safe and pleasant. So if you need an up do or a down home style check the shop out --but call-- leave a message and wait for a response.

Went back in to see Lisa. As I was so happy with my previous color and highlights. So returned for…read morejust a normal all over highlights and moisture treatment. Once again I was very happy. Definitely glad I found Lisa thru the grapevine and this place. Since the new place is open it's busier and more staffing. Everyone was very friendly. Recommend.

Salon bounce is an incredible salon. I had Nancy as my stylist and she was amazing. She really knew…read morewhat she was talking about and was able to help me knkw how to take care of my hair. They best part about the whole experience is that rather then trying to sell me the whole store she showed me how to get my hajr to do what I wanted with the products that I had. Nancy was very thorough when she detangled my hair. She probably spent a good hour and a half over the shampoo bowl detoxing and detangling my hair. As she was detangling my hair she was telling me how to take care of my hair and the best way to detangle it. When Nancy cut my hair she went curl by curl to make sure that every one of them got a proper cut and to make sure that the dead ends were off. She definitely knows how to cut coily hair and did an amazing job at it. I will DEFINITELY be going back. The atmosphere of the salon was also a great experience there was so much detail to the art on the walls and it looked like there was just so much thought put into the are. The best part was the car that was in the salon. Everywhere you looked there was some kind of art in the room. But the best decoration were the lights. They were so unique, the lights were so squiggly and cool.

First and foremost I got a great haircut. It was done well and after 2 weeks still looks great…read more Mayer was my stylist and she does a great job and has a wonderful personality. The parking in the area is easy and plentiful. The great thing about mayor was she sent out a text reminder about the appointment so that showed a little bit about her commitment to good customer service.

High quality and affordable hair salon owned by experienced Asian Americans…read more This place is well known among the Southeast Asian American community in Des Moines. I believe it is run by Lao individuals. I've been visiting since I was in high school to get good hair cuts and styling. Whenever I go, they usually do things pretty quickly. I came here for my high school prom several years ago, and I was pleased with how they curled my hair. Staff are personable, friendly, and attentive to your desires. Pricing is good. A haircut can average to be about 13 bucks. I got my hair styled for about $25 for a formal event. I highly recommend this local salon!

Visited during their Christmas Event and O+J Salon definitely know how to throw a PARTY!…read moreVery impressed with the hospitality and the welcoming environment. Cute salon and a nice sized facility. Very open and with big windows. Very modern and stylish style. The salon was a packed house with all their new and regular clients. Came with a friend and was introduced to her stylist Jessica. She was very knowledgeable with hair and very open about her services and availability. Their Christmas party had food, drinks, and hair product samples. Raffle prizes with product purchases. Oliver + James were generous with this party, now we know why they throw great parties. It was a nice time meeting all the stylists and the owner. Link and Lou permanent jewelry were also at the party as a pop up event for them. It was so great to see another business supporting another business. Awesome marketing to get their business out there and to reach the Des Moines community. Definitely looking to go back as a hair client soon and buying their products! Those samples SOLD me.

Update: the absolute nightmare of trying to work with the owner of this salon got worse. During our…read moreoriginal call, she was resistant to giving me a refund because "they don't allow refunds" (that is disclosed nowhere on their website or in their salon, nor was it told to me before or during my service) but finally said she would be willing to give me one. I never received a refund and it seems I never will. I decided to contact the salon again and say I never received a refund and they told me they couldn't send a refund through card because it was already processed. I sent proof of bank statements showing that there was never a refund and suddenly they were willing to write a check on accord of the "honor system" despite me providing proof I never got my money back. They then requested I delete my photos and review before picking up my check because it was an "unfair" review. I never agreed to deleting anything and decided to try to pick up my check anyway. When I get there, the owner says to come back another day because she's demanding it's deleted. I tell her I'll delete it in the salon because I'm not driving 35 minutes one way to come back, so I delete it in person. The owner then made me wait over 40 minutes before eventually kicking me out of the salon and saying that she won't give me a refund after all, proving it was a deceitful attempt to get me to delete an honest review. Not only did she chastise me during my initial request for a refund, then in person when denying me my promised refund, she only got more rude and insulting. She was upset at me for having an issue with my experience saying how the stylist I saw was highly rated and reviewed and she messed up in no way. Then in person she said how the stylist was fired not even two months later. Fishy that I was berated for having an issue for such a good stylist who then had grounds for termination just weeks after. My bank also confirmed they never attempted to refund my card in the first place and the salon has since blocked me on platforms confirming their unprofessionalism and inability to work with the customers who were done wrong at their business.

If you are looking for an AMAZING hair color specialist and stylist for 2026, LOOK NO FURTHER!…read more Shasta can FIX your hair color AND keep it healthy (and those two things do not always go together)! I have now sat in Shasta's chair twice -- she is pleasant, knowledgeable, and knows how to color hair (especially if you're in your 40's and still want beautiful blonde hair like me!). She artfully eliminates any brassy tones and will hand paint the blonde where you need it. Through the balayage technique she has added beautiful depth with multiple shades of blonde and I could not be happier. Thank you Shasta!

My appointment with Shasta was incredible. She was one of the only stylists I have been to that was…read moreable to cut the stubborn brassy tones out of my hair. I appreciated the time she took on my hair, you can really tell she has been doing this for years. She did not rush it and made sure I left with what I wanted. Would recommend to anyone, she is very good with blondes!