I am SO happy I found this salon. More importantly I found Michelle. I have had my hair cut short for over half my life. It is near impossible to find anyone who will cut it short and still make you look feminine. I have had some ok haircuts, some pretty good ones, then there is the first haircut by Michelle! I had been trying to grow it out and gave up. I came in and told her I wanted it short. A Bob? Nope Shorter? Yes- a pixie type cut. She more than delivered!! She gave my hair new life! It has body it has never had AND I now know I have CURLS! I'm 42! The whole back of my head, when it is cut correctly is covered in the cutest curls that just makes me happy. I can finger style my hair and it always looks great! This is a full service salon, color, highlights and the like. I also love how they don't try to make you buy products! read more

I recently saw Brenda for the first time and she is the absolute BEST!! I still can't believe how blonde she was able to get me in just one sitting and without destroying my hair and no brassy tones either which can be difficult with my hair. She is so attentive to detail and kind of a perfectionist, (which I love). She took the time to understand what I wanted and then took the time to deliver. I have a ton of hair and she definitely didn't take any shortcuts. I can't recommend her highly enough!! read more

Phase II of Bridal stuff.. This review is getting updated twice more Review 1 of 3 Misty put me at ease while going over my wedding consultation. I am going in to do a trial run at the end of the month. She quickly saw my vision of what I wanted and within 30 minutes we had a style and some stuff to play with... she is super on top of appointments and getting back to you via email. read more

The Best Brazilian Blowouts by Art! signed by Laura Mills ;^)

I had the BEST experience at Venus salon. Amanda was so awesome and my hair looks fantastic. I am 6 months postpartum and have been losing hair like crazy. Amanda knew exactly what to do to bring back my confidence. She also broke down her prices before she started and walked me through exactly what she was doing and why. It's clear she is passionate about hair and it truly sets her apart from so many stylists. I cannot wait to go back to see her! read more

Hands down one of the best facials I've ever had. I was excited to try Eminence products, and they're fabulous, but Cynthia was a complete wizard! I was a mess when I came in- milia, congestion, active spots. She not only used great products, but microdermabrasion, microcurrents, and blue lights to get my skin glowing. 10/10 recommend, and I'll be coming back soon! read more

I want to start of by saying Misty was incredibly nice. She has a lovely personality and gives a wonderful head massage while she shampoos your hair. It was $150 for a trim & all over dye ($25 more than the advertised price). Sadly, it was not worth the expense. It was a 5 minute trim and the color was not quite what I wanted - but it was a nice enough shade. Frankly, what I left with could have been achieved by having a $12 trim at any barber and a $9 box of do-it-yourself dye. read more

Lynette always does an amazing job with my hair! She's the only hairdresser I trust, and she's great with curly hair. There's no one else I go to now that I've found her! I do wish the salon had a receptionist of some sort, but maybe it's cheaper to not have one? read more

Myself and several of my friends get their hair done by Nicole Melicia at Venus. I've gone to her before she joined the amazing staff at Venus and she is amazing with her creativity and her coloring skills are phenomenal! I do not color my hair but I see my friends results after she colors their hair and it always looks healthy and gorgeous with flattering colors. I started seeing Nicole to help me with my Wedding hair styling and she has just impressed me which her creativity and honesty. Venus is an amazing atmosphere and great people in it. I highly recommend this salon and Nicole for your hair needs! read more

One of my all time favorite places! Cynthia and Chris are awesome people I recommend to all my friends and family !

I have been going to Venus Salon for almost 2 years. Chris is my hairdresser and is AWESOME!! He takes such great care of my color and trims. He always makes time for round brush-drying and straightening, which is huge because I HAVE ALOT OF HAIR! :) Cynthia does my facials and waxing. The products she uses are wonderful and smell amazing. I have sensitive skin, which always made me nervous about having facials. I have never had problems here...no redness or breakouts...AMAZING! Recently, she did waxing for both myself and my husband. This was big for my husband as he's never been able to sit through a full back waxing. He complimented her on it not hurting as bad as he thought, and his back looked and felt wonderful! My underarm and Brazilian waxing was perfect! She is the first person who was able to take care of all the hair, and I've been to several places, even some of the more popular ones here in Monterey. It's been almost one week and no breakouts or irritation. YEA! Thank you Cynthia, Chris, and Venus Salon for being ROCK STARS! read more

This review is solely for makeup and hair for a bridal group. On a positive note, the makeup they did for us was fine though someone here needs to learn how to properly apply eyelash glue. Our eyelashes looked pretty fake at the base because you could see the glue. Fortunately, the bride had her makeup done by someone else & her eyelashes came out looking amazing so it was easy to compare what a good eyelash job looked like. Our hair experience was, unfortunately, just awful. The person who did our hair gave me a patchy, lop-sided half-up do that I had to undo and fix back at the hotel. And when asked to do a more structured half-up do he created a bad 90s prom style. He was asked to do a full up-do on another bridesmaid but after half an hour of failed attempts, she just decided to keep her hair down & basically did her hair herself. I don't relish saying it, but I would not ever consider recommending this place for bridal hair/makeup to anyone. read more

One of the best places I've been in the area. Christian, who happens to be the owner, was excellent. Since it was my first time at the Salon and the first real haircut (think trims at supercuts ^_^) in a while, we sat down and talked about what I wanted. He took his time to get everything just right, the flipside was that it took almost 2 hours and was a very extended lunch for me. I believe cuts for men are around $35, women $50, coloring starts at $60. But I left a fatty tip. read more

I've been looking for a great hairdresser since I moved to the area over 4 years ago. Erica was referred to me by a good friend that happens to be a customer of Erica's. I loved Erica, she did a wonderful job and is a sweetheart! I wont be going to anyone else now that I have gone to Erica! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Gina, and her talent with hair and makeup. As a fashion designer who both curates group shows and has frequent photo shoots, I've been using Gina since she showed up with her assistant backstage at our August " Imagine, Recreate, Fashion!" Show and completely ROCKED the hair and makeup. No idea was too grand for her, and she brought every dream we had in to reality. Since then, my team has been using her exclusively for our photo shoots, with equally satisfying results. I have never met a more capable woman when it comes to the art of Hair and Makeup. Not to mention that she's just a wonderful person, who puts everyone around her at ease. Thank you Gina, for all of your incredible work!!! read more

Cynthia is the co-owner and esthetician. I have been going to her for about a year and have tried many others in town. She is my favorite! I have a prepaid waxing subscription through European Wax, but I won't return. When someone does an excellent job they deserve local support. I highly recommend Cynthia for waxing and facials. She won't disappoint! read more

I didn't get to visit my sister in Brazil so I went to Venus to get a Brazilian. Ouch! But Cynthia made me feel comfortable and the rest is history. This place was happening. Looked like there were a lot of repeat customers getting thier hair done downstairs. Great atmosphere and reasonable prices. This place was recommended by both my younger sisters. read more

Venus Salon is simply the best. The owners are so kind and care so deeply about their customers and the services they provide. Cannot recommend Christian enough for his professionalism, punctuality, and of course, killer work on my locks! Look no further than this spot, it is always a joy visiting this group! read more

Lynette Driver did my hair for my sister's wedding. I have very curly hair and not every hair dresser can do curly hair. Handling curly hair is a whole skill on its own. Lynette knows how to handle curly hair. I brought in some pictures of what I wanted done and she did a great job!! I'm definitely going back to her the next time I need something done with my hair. read more

There are not enough words to describe how greatly unsatisfied I am with this salon. Before I even begin to dive into the details of my experience, for the sake of YELPing I'll begin by highlighting a few points. 1) The hairstylist sitting on station 2 on the left hand side lacks experience. I'm forgetting her name, but she's a tall white woman in her late 40's with red hair. So if you're planning on getting your hair done for a fancy occasion, avoid her at all costs. 2) This same inexperienced stylist with red hair tried to rip off my friend. She tried to force her into paying her a bigger tip. 3) She fought with me because I told her my friend didn't like the way her hair was turning out. By just looking at the expression on my friend's face I could tell she wasn't happy with the way her hair was turning out. So when I pointed it out, the stylist said she can't fix it and there is nothing she can do about it. UM HELLO, is she dumb or something. Of course she can fix it. She just didn't want to. I mean what kind of a hair stylist flat out says NO they won't try to fix it. And for God's sake, it was just curls for a wedding. It was something so simple. Now if you're still interested in hearing what happened I'll continue by explaining in more details. My friend made an appointment to have her hair done for a wedding. My friend told the stylist exactly what she wanted (big loose curls) and showed her a picture. When the stylist started doing my friend's hair, I could tell on my friend's face that she was unhappy but she's the type who would be too shy to bring it up. So when I suggested to the stylist that my friend wants big loose curls and showed her the picture again, she got really angry with me and said she's not going to be able to do it. I was so shocked by her comment and I didn't know what else to say. I totally wasn't expecting her to straight up say no. When my friend's hair was done, it looked like a ton of nappy curls. The stylist new we were unhappy but continued regardless and charged us $50. My friend paid her $60 ( 3 twenties) and asked her for $10 dollars back. Since the stylist knew we were unhappy and she was probably worried we weren't gonna tip her (which we weren't), she told us she didn't have change to give back to us. I know she can easily get change from the other stylists there or from her manger. But she continued to lie to us by telling us she can't get change from anywhere. At the end of all the mess, we ended up calling out the manager who gave us our $10 dollars back. So to sum it all up- she's an inexperienced liar and an awful person, that's all I can say. read more

Misty is a hair goddess. I had 12 inches of hair cut off. To do a Scarlett Jo bob. With that being said it was a complete change for me and I didn't even cry as the hair hit the floor. How could I? It looks fab. Everyone loves my hair! Short is back in style and I feel fresh. Oh yeah and donated it to locks of love. Thanks Misty. read more

I love Katie at Venus Salon! She did my hair and makeup for my wedding three weeks ago, and it was so beautiful! My bridesmaids and I had a great time while we were there and I would recommend her in a heartbeat. read more

Just got back from Venus & again, I am very pleased with the service I received from Christian! He's great in every way a hair stylist can be. I have officially found my salon of choice in Monterey. Thanks, Christian! :) read more

Beautiful salon, great location, nice staff, and reasonably priced for the area. Just had six ladies get their hair done here for my wedding and everyone looked great! Communication and coordination could have been a bit less of a hassle but everyone's hair came out nicely! My mom and I also had our makeup done here. Overall, I liked the makeup application but I did feel like I had to put a touch more on myself to feel completely satisfied. My mom's makeup looked really nice and she was also happy with it. read more

I think this salon overall has a great ambiance and some friendly staff. My hair turned out to be not what I wanted as my hair has been dyed so much before.. But they are willing to help fix it for me. read more

Venus is the spa to go to in Monterey! The owners are wonderful people, it is affordable, the space is just right, Cynthia is the best esthetician I've been to. (Awesome facials and waxing). Look no further! read more

Katie has since moved, but Chris (the owner) cuts my hair. He's the man. Great job. Prompt, great to talk to. This is the place to go!

This is an inviting salon with a modern feeling, but without the attitude of some other salons. Everyone is super nice and down to earth; plus, they do a great job and don;t charge an arm and a leg. Erica does a great job with hair cuts and color. Cynthia is a fantastic aesthetician. read more

GINA is GREAT!!! I am new to the Monterey area and was on the search for a salon. I have been wanting to try dye on my hair and was recommended to Gina at the Venus Salon from a friend. She is very flexible. I told her exactly what i needed and she told me what she was going to do, how she was going to do it, and how to maintain it. I am very pleased with the outcome of my new look! I have now found my stylist! Gina was great! read more

I love Venus. I've been going to get my haircut there since before Katie was there, and I've always been happy. Katie does a great job with my highlights and gives me exactly what I ask for, everytime! Erica filled in for Katie when she was on maternity leave and she did a great job too. Overall, very comfortable, easy parking, and great stylists. read more

I went to see Lynette Driver, as she was highly recommended. She extremely screwed up my Highlights and I had to come back for her to fix them and she still could not fix the mess she made of my Hair. I was beyond disappointed, and her $ 155 price tag was so hard to swallow, because I had to pay another $125 to get it fix my Hometown Hairstylist, 300 miles away. read more

I love Lynette Driver from Venus Salon and am SO SAD that we had to move away from Monterey. Lynette colored, cut, and straightened my hair over a two year period and I was NEVER disappointed. I always came away feeling great. My natural color is brown and she made me a fabulous blonde. She also did Brazilian blowout on my hair and my frizzy hair turned to soft and straight. I loved it. Lynette, you are fabulous and I will definitely miss you!!! read more

Okay, I have been a bit reluctant to write this... because selfishly, I don't want to find Art too booked up to see me. On the other hand, the man has an amazing talent that really should be shared. He is that rare beauty buddy who has your best interests at heart. In his case, I think it is a matter of professional pride. So if you are looking for a hair professional to care for your hair, I would only comfortably recommend Art. From cut to color - he's the best. Here's my story.... I have been seeing Art every 6 to 8 weeks for the past three years. When I first started with him, my hair was wildly out of control. It was dry and frizzy in parts, curly on some parts of my head and straight in others. I had been seeing a colorist who did foils for me, but unfortunately the results varied widely from treatment to treatment. The situation was desperate. He soon brought me to sanity. First, he identified a better color for my skin tone, then he changed the coloring process to a simpler and gentler one that provided more natural and predictable results. As our visits progressed, my old hair was trimmed away and the new hair that grew in and he cared for was lovelier and lovelier. He is up on the new products that work and he has introduced me to great stand-bys. He's definitely more of an advocate, then a salesman. He tells me what will work and then leaves it up to me. I really feel that Art very genuinely wants my hair in top condition. The last treatment he recommended was absolutely one of the best! A color touch-up, a bit of a trim, and then he finished it off with a Hawaiian Blow-out. My hair looks and feels amazing. Even after repeated washings. I think the key to Art's success, is that he builds the relationship with you slowly. He will only go as fast as you are comfortable with changes and he will be honest and frank with you if it's going to take some time or if something is not going to work for your hair type or face shape. For me, it's been a wonderful journey and it keeps getting better! The best compliment to Art is that I was recently mistaken for 35 or 40 years of age - not bad for a 51 year old woman. You have got to admit that's one amazing hair cut! read more

For the first 20 years of my life I have always gone to the same salon to get my hair done. An old friend of the family who gives me an incredible deal. Unfortunately, that incredible deal always left me leaving with something negative to say about what my hair dresser had done to my hair. Within the past few years I have gone to many different places, and had MANY horrible experiences. To say the least, I have grown to be very apprehensive about doing ANYTHING to my hair because of fear that something will go wrong. Thankfully...I have found Art! I cannot say enough positive things about him. He gave me highlights and a trim and I have received many compliments on both. He is incredibly precise with highlights in particular. He uses very small sections of hair to give the end result a beautiful blended look that I am so happy with! Besides his obvious talent, I also really appreciate that he does not double book appointments. When you have an appointment with Art he is working with you the entire time, you do not end up sitting around while he tries to squeeze in a quick haircut or anything. So many salons keep you there waiting while working on someone else that it was a nice change of pace. Overall...Art is friendly, amazingly talented, reasonably priced, and just plain and simple...does a great job! I would highly him to anyone. read more

Lynette has done updos for me for military balls. She always does a great job, I always get lots of compliments and the updos always hold for the entire evening. I will happily go back to Lynette and Venus. Venus has a very modern feel. It's always clean and bright. I really enjoy going there. read more

I can't say enough about this fantastic little gem of amazing facial services. We were in the Pacific Grove/Monterey area for a mother daughter retreat and had the absolute privilege of facials with Cynthia. She is very skilled and genuinely interested in providing the best service available. She is knowledgeable and uses the finest organic skin care products available. The Salon is off the beaten path and a real sleeper from the outside, but this is a place not to miss. She gave us lots of advice on where to go and things to do. We walked out on a cloud, feeling reinvigorated and looking years younger. read more

I moved to the Monterey Peninsula from Sacramento about eight years ago. Ever since my move I had a hard time finding a stylist on the peninsula that I liked. I kept hoping from stylist to stylist. A couple years back I tried out Christian at Venus salon and haven't left since. He is awesome! Christian makes great recommendations on style changes and color and consistently does a wonderful job on my hair. His color and cuts are amazing. I have recommended Christian to numerous friends and they now consistently get their hair done by him and have referred others to him as well. If you are looking for a great stylist go see Christian at Venus you won't be disappointed. read more

The Owners of Venus Salon are the best Stylist & Esthetician I have ever had. I have been getting my hair done by Chris for over 5 years, and I have loved the color and the whole salon experience! Chris genuinely cares about what I want for my hair, and goes above and beyond to make sure I can have the blonde hair I love, but still have it be healthy and strong at the same time. When I wanted extensions Chris called several different Reps to find out exactly what would be best for my hair, and found the best type, and applied them so perfectly, that people are shocked to hear I have extensions in! I currently live in the Bay Area, but I still drive down to Monterey every month to get my hair done with Chris, because he is by far the best Stylist I have ever gone to! I love my hair color and extensions! read more

I am extremely picky about my haircuts and am very easily disappointed... not with this place! The stylists know their stuff. They make sure to pay attention to facial structure and are very precise in their cutting style. As a newer resident of Monterey I had been searching for my permanent salon, now I can say I have found it. read more

Went for Brazilian with Cynthia and what I got was a lot of missed and broken off hairs and a bunch of ingrown's a week or two later. I've been getting these done for a long time and this was simply not done well. It may just not be her forte, or maybe an off day, but it was not a good job and with these it must be done right or it just isnt worth it. I might add that their website price is less than what they charge on-site and even though she acknowledged it was wrong, and me saying that I made the appointment expecting that price there was no offer of honoring it. I paid and left irritated in more than one place. read more