Ladies, where do I go for beauty maintenance in Washington DC?
February 24, 2016 7:26 PM Subscribe
I've just moved to Columbia Heights from California, so I'm looking for new everything: for hair cuts and color, mani/pedis, and waxing (brows and more sensitive areas).
I definitely value quality and cleanliness over the fastest, cheapest option, though I'd prefer not to pay a fortune.
I sold my car, so I'm trying to find locations that are near(ish) me and accessible by bus or metro. Any good recommendations? Warnings of places to avoid are also appreciated. Thanks.
I definitely value quality and cleanliness over the fastest, cheapest option, though I'd prefer not to pay a fortune.
I sold my car, so I'm trying to find locations that are near(ish) me and accessible by bus or metro. Any good recommendations? Warnings of places to avoid are also appreciated. Thanks.
Hey, welcome! I'm not too far from you, but my life tends to take me in the slightly opposite direction from Columbia Heights, so depending on where else you end up in the city these may be more or less convenient.
I hear great things about Eastern Confederate and plan to try it out if Giovanna at PR and Partners in Friendship Heights ever leaves. She gives me a great short cut every time for like $65, in about half the time of my last person.
For brows, I tend to wind up at Tenley Nails in Tenleytown or Nam's Posh in Cleveland Park, both of which are a couple blocks from the H2/H4 for you. They're not fancy, but they're clean and I've never had a problem, and if I go in during Tenley's weekly special it's like $8 to get my brows done. I've heard AU students love Envy Nail's mani/pedi special, also in Tenleytown, but I've never been.
When I can afford it, I want to get a facial down at Hela Spa in Georgetown, because it's real swanky (by my standards) and I got probably the best massage I ever had there, and they seem like they'd do a good job.
posted by jameaterblues at 9:16 PM on February 24, 2016
I hear great things about Eastern Confederate and plan to try it out if Giovanna at PR and Partners in Friendship Heights ever leaves. She gives me a great short cut every time for like $65, in about half the time of my last person.
For brows, I tend to wind up at Tenley Nails in Tenleytown or Nam's Posh in Cleveland Park, both of which are a couple blocks from the H2/H4 for you. They're not fancy, but they're clean and I've never had a problem, and if I go in during Tenley's weekly special it's like $8 to get my brows done. I've heard AU students love Envy Nail's mani/pedi special, also in Tenleytown, but I've never been.
When I can afford it, I want to get a facial down at Hela Spa in Georgetown, because it's real swanky (by my standards) and I got probably the best massage I ever had there, and they seem like they'd do a good job.
posted by jameaterblues at 9:16 PM on February 24, 2016
I have also heard great things about Eastern Confederate!
I'm also a fan of Bang, which has a couple of locations including one near U street and 16th.
posted by forkisbetter at 4:52 AM on February 25, 2016
I'm also a fan of Bang, which has a couple of locations including one near U street and 16th.
posted by forkisbetter at 4:52 AM on February 25, 2016
If you have curly hair, definitely check out Fiddleheads, which is a salon specifically for women with curly/natural hair. They have two locations: Dupont and Bloomingdale
Seconding Joy's Spa.
posted by lunasol at 6:10 AM on February 25, 2016
Seconding Joy's Spa.
posted by lunasol at 6:10 AM on February 25, 2016
V Nails on Park St (between 14th and 16th NW) is no-frills but better than many nail salons about cleanliness (opening the tools in front of you, etc) and consistently good with a great selection of colors. Joy's is also a good spot.
I like Bliss, and it'd be a quick trip for you on the 14th st bus to get there from CH.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:00 AM on February 25, 2016
I like Bliss, and it'd be a quick trip for you on the 14th st bus to get there from CH.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:00 AM on February 25, 2016
I have normal Asian hair, and I go to Salon Revive on 9th and U. It's a salon that caters mostly to Ethiopian women, but there's a significant cohort of fellow Asian ladies who go there for cuts and colors. Hiwot, the owner, has been doing my hair for six years.
For mani/pedis, I go to Blu in Logan Circle. For brows, I go to Dupont Threading in Dupont Circle. Not terribly fond of waxing, so I'll defer to others there, but I'm a big fan of Bliss Spa.
posted by evoque at 7:02 AM on February 25, 2016
For mani/pedis, I go to Blu in Logan Circle. For brows, I go to Dupont Threading in Dupont Circle. Not terribly fond of waxing, so I'll defer to others there, but I'm a big fan of Bliss Spa.
posted by evoque at 7:02 AM on February 25, 2016
(Park ROAD. Park Rd. What's wrong with me)
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:06 AM on February 25, 2016
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:06 AM on February 25, 2016
I'm concerned that my tastes may not be as current as others here but I'll offer what I know. Bang is solid for hair cuts. I haven't been in a while but there are a few locations and my husband is pretty happy every time he goes there. I have gone there for waxing also though that was years and years ago. Nice work, though. Will second Fiddleheads if you have curly hair. A curly-haired friend loves it. For hair, I have frequently gone to PR at Partners. There are a few of them - I've been to the ones in Metro Center and Farragut.
Worth noting regarding my recommendations for manicures and pedicures - I frequently splurge on gel because I am impatient. That said, for nails, I hate to say it but Mimosa in Dupont on Connecticut has always given me the longest lasting manicures. I've made gel manicures from there last for two weeks and I am hard on my nails. The thing is that it's a mani/pedi factory and after work, it is a shit show. There is basically no waiting area and it seems like there are always people struggling to avoid spilling out onto the sidewalk. But they'll give you a drink, they're open late, and they have massage chairs and that's kind of enough for me (though I haven't been back there in months). I've made small talk with the other ladies getting their nails done there who have recommended colors for me so I have mixed feelings about the place.
One of my favorite places experience-wise for manicures and pedicures is Oriental Oasis Nails and Spa. It's less chaotic than Mimosa and they do a nice job. I also like Enchanted Nails on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan. It's not perfect but they do nice work and the last few times I was there (months ago), one of the girls who worked there had an adorable little white dog named Essie (like the polish) who would curl up with some of the customers while their pedicures dried. I also like Dupont Nails and Spa on 20th but it's a little hard to find. There's another nail shop on 20th that I've walked into thinking it was Dupont Nails. To get there, you have to walk down some steps - it's not on the street level. Not hard to find once you know it's there but the first time, you can easily walk past it.
I've been to Bliss Spa for waxing and it was very nice, plus I like that you can make appointments online. It is a little pricey but maybe you get what you pay for. There's also Capital Waxing on 19th St (there's a salon on the top floor and the waxing place is downstairs). I've gone there for walk-in appointments (is that an oxymoron?) on Fridays after work and they've managed to fit me in. I'm currently dealing with a breakout that I think is related to my last wax (grrr ...) and I didn't have that experience there, plus it seemed very sterile.
posted by kat518 at 8:24 AM on February 25, 2016
Worth noting regarding my recommendations for manicures and pedicures - I frequently splurge on gel because I am impatient. That said, for nails, I hate to say it but Mimosa in Dupont on Connecticut has always given me the longest lasting manicures. I've made gel manicures from there last for two weeks and I am hard on my nails. The thing is that it's a mani/pedi factory and after work, it is a shit show. There is basically no waiting area and it seems like there are always people struggling to avoid spilling out onto the sidewalk. But they'll give you a drink, they're open late, and they have massage chairs and that's kind of enough for me (though I haven't been back there in months). I've made small talk with the other ladies getting their nails done there who have recommended colors for me so I have mixed feelings about the place.
One of my favorite places experience-wise for manicures and pedicures is Oriental Oasis Nails and Spa. It's less chaotic than Mimosa and they do a nice job. I also like Enchanted Nails on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan. It's not perfect but they do nice work and the last few times I was there (months ago), one of the girls who worked there had an adorable little white dog named Essie (like the polish) who would curl up with some of the customers while their pedicures dried. I also like Dupont Nails and Spa on 20th but it's a little hard to find. There's another nail shop on 20th that I've walked into thinking it was Dupont Nails. To get there, you have to walk down some steps - it's not on the street level. Not hard to find once you know it's there but the first time, you can easily walk past it.
I've been to Bliss Spa for waxing and it was very nice, plus I like that you can make appointments online. It is a little pricey but maybe you get what you pay for. There's also Capital Waxing on 19th St (there's a salon on the top floor and the waxing place is downstairs). I've gone there for walk-in appointments (is that an oxymoron?) on Fridays after work and they've managed to fit me in. I'm currently dealing with a breakout that I think is related to my last wax (grrr ...) and I didn't have that experience there, plus it seemed very sterile.
posted by kat518 at 8:24 AM on February 25, 2016
The other nail salon in Dupont that kat518 mentions is Queen Nails, which is at the corner of 21st and P, next to the Starbucks. What I like about them is that they don't use drills on your nails; it's all filing.
posted by elle.jeezy at 5:06 PM on March 3, 2016
posted by elle.jeezy at 5:06 PM on March 3, 2016
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For hair cuts and color: Eastern Confederate in Mt. Pleasant. Don't let the hipstery aesthetic put you off, if you're inclined to be put off by such a thing. They are absolutely top-notch.
For everything else: I go to Joy's Spa in Adams Morgan which is definitely more on the cheap, bare-bones side than the luxury side, but Joy is very professional, friendly, and good at what she does. For fancier places, I used to go to Sugar House in Old Town when I lived in Alexandria, and I hear great things about Bliss at the W (right near the White House).
posted by capricorn at 7:49 PM on February 24, 2016